The gubernatorial election was the
closest in the commonwealth's history, and resulted in the election of Benigno Fitial, narrowly defeating independent Heinz Hofschneider by 84 votes and incumbent Republican Governor Juan N. Babauta by an additional 98 votes. This would be the last year that the gubernatorial race would work in a first-past-the-post voting system as it would be reformed to work under a two-round system for the 2009 general elections.[3] This election made commonwealth history by electing both the territory's first Carolinian governor and its first third party governor.[4]
Background
The referendum on the Constitutional Convention was called in order to comply with Chapter XVIII, article 2 of the constitution, which required a referendum to be held at least every ten years on convening such a convention.[2] A referendum had been due in 2003 as the last referendum had been in 1993, but the legislature had failed to organise it.[2]
15,118 people registered with the Election Commission to vote.[5]
Gubernatorial election
Candidates
Four candidates ran for governor, each with a running mate:
Heinz Sablan Hofschneider, an independent, a sitting member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives and former Speaker until 2003.[6] Hofschneider is a Republican, but ran as an independent in this election.[6]
This was the last election to have Resident Representative to U.S. Congress. In 2008, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, signed into law by PresidentGeorge W. Bush, replaced the position of resident representative with a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives. The new position received the power to serve in congressional committees, to introduce bills, and to vote on proposed legislation in committee, but still had limited powers on the House floor, lacking the right to vote on legislation on the House floor.
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