The candidates for governor and attorney general agreed to retain their ballot positions during proceedings at the Commonwealth Election Commission last Nov. 5, as they prepared to hit the campaign trail again ahead of the Northern Mariana Islands' runoff elections.
The independent gubernatorial ticket of Rep. Blas Jonathan “BJ” T. Attao and House Speaker Edmund Villagomez will remain No. 1 on the ballot, while former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and his running mate, Benjamin Jones Jr., will occupy the No. 2 spot.
In the attorney general's race, Michael Norita Evangelista will retain the No. 1 position, while Joaquin DLG Torres will remain No. 2.
Both races are headed for a runoff after none of the candidates secured the required majority in Tuesday's general election.
Torres, whose Republican ticket led the gubernatorial race with 6,437 votes, or 49.5%, said the outcome simply means returning to the campaign trail to seek the additional support needed to win.
“This is a process, right? This is the law, and so it is what it is,” Torres said. “We didn't make the 50% plus one, and we have to go out and do the same thing we've done throughout the campaign.”
Attao, whose independent ticket received 5,043 votes, or 38.7%, likewise said his campaign would respect the process and continue reaching out to voters.
“Likewise, we've got to respect the law and follow the law,” he said.
Attao said his team would return to the streets and again ask residents for their support.
The two candidates also exchanged lighthearted reminders about their respective ballot positions, with Attao telling voters not to forget No. 1 and Torres responding that No. 2 was the choice for the economy.
Villagomez said the independent campaign would continue asking for support while encouraging residents to participate in the runoff.
“The work continues, and we're going to continue to ask for support, of course, just as the Torres Jones camp,” he said.
Jones, meanwhile, thanked the CEC for its work and urged residents to return to the polls, particularly those who participated in the general election.
“We need everyone's voice in here. We need everyone's vote to count, so please come out when you can,” he said.
Both Jones and Torres also encouraged voters to take advantage of early voting, particularly those who may be unable to cast their ballots on runoff election day.
Torres urged residents to monitor official CEC announcements for voting dates, times, and locations.
The candidates were also asked about absentee voting and the difficulties faced by CNMI residents living abroad.
Torres acknowledged that absentee ballots remain a concern, particularly when voters are unable to return their ballots on time.
“At the end we want our absentee voters' vote to count,” he said.
Attao credited the CEC for conducting the general election under a tight schedule but stressed that the commission needs sufficient funding and resources for the runoff, particularly to distribute absentee ballots.
“They've done a tremendous job in such a short period of time,” he said.
Attao said the commission was requesting additional funding and that every effort should be made to ensure absentee voters receive their ballots and have an opportunity to return them.
The candidates were also asked whether their campaigns had reached out to the third-place gubernatorial ticket of Lawrence F. Camacho and Edith Deleon Guerrero, which received 1,537 votes, or 11.8%, in the general election.
Attao said his camp had been speaking with the other candidates but that no formal unity agreement or pledge had been scheduled.
“Nothing's scheduled right now,” he said.
He added that his campaign respected the choices made by voters and would continue encouraging everyone to participate in the runoff.
The Camacho-Deleon Guerrero ticket's supporters have become an important group of voters in the second round, with the difference between Torres and Attao standing at 1,394 votes in the unofficial general election results.
Meanwhile, Evangelista and Joaquin Torres also agreed to retain their ballot positions as they prepare for the attorney general runoff.
Evangelista, who finished second with 3,854 votes, said his campaign was ready to return to the campaign trail.
“Yeah, we're ready. We're ready to rock. We're ready to roll,” he said.
Asked whether he had approached third-place candidate Jonathan Glass and his supporters, Evangelista confirmed that discussions had already taken place.
“We've already done that. And something will be coming out soon,” he said, adding that he hoped Glass would endorse his candidacy.
Glass subsequently threw his support behind Evangelista, encouraging his supporters to back the former judge in the runoff.
“As I turn the page, I just want to express my full support for Michael Norita Evangelista as the best choice for the next CNMI Attorney General,” Glass said in an advertisement ran by Evangelista’s campaign.
“I encourage everyone to give him the same consideration and support as we look toward the future of the Office of the Attorney General.”
Glass, who finished third with 3,836 votes, just 18 behind Evangelista, thanked his supporters and said that although his campaign had ended, his commitment to public service, accountability, transparency, and independence remained unchanged.
“The office must remain independent, committed to the rule of law, and focused on serving the people of the commonwealth and not political interests,” he said.
Glass added that the campaign was never about a single candidate but about the future of an institution belonging to the people of the CNMI.
Joaquin Torres, who led the attorney general race with 5,073 votes, described the runoff as a first for the Commonwealth, which has never previously held a runoff for the elected attorney general's position.
He thanked residents for participating in early voting and the general election and encouraged an even bigger turnout in the runoff.
Joaquin Torres also pledged to maintain the integrity and transparency of the Office of the Attorney General while working with whoever wins the gubernatorial election.
“I promise to work with whoever the governor is and make sure that the office has the integrity that is required and be transparent,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of Glass endorsing Evangelista, Joaquin Torres said he would leave the decision to voters and allow his public service record to speak for itself.
He also disclosed that he had spoken with Glass.
In a separate interview Thursday at the Governor's Office following the signing of proclamations designating November as CNMI Veteran and Military Families' Month and Nov. 5-11 as CNMI Veterans' Week, Gov. David M. Apatang said the gubernatorial runoff was familiar territory for him.
“It happened before when I was running with the late Governor,” Apatang said, recalling his previous experience in a runoff election.
He described the upcoming contest as another test for the Commonwealth and expressed hope that residents would work together for its betterment.
The runoff follows the Nov. 3 general elections, in which neither of the leading gubernatorial tickets nor the leading attorney general candidates received the majority required for election.
Jones referred to Nov. 20 as the runoff date during Thursday's proceedings. The candidates urged voters to follow CEC announcements for the official schedule, including early voting and absentee ballot arrangements.
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