Benavente, also a former lt. governor, said he will welcome the opportunity if his eight other Republican colleagues will select him.
On Friday, the incoming seven Covenant and four Independent House members announced the selection of former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio as their choice to be the next speaker.
Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, won a House seat in Precinct 1.
Saipan Covenant Rep.-elect Felicidad T. Ogumuro, who served in the First CNMI Legislature, will be the vice speaker while Saipan Independent Rep.-elect George N. Camacho will be the new House floor leader.
House Floor Leader Joseph N. Camacho, R-Saipan, who switched to the Covenant Party during the runoff, said the governor and Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos asked him to preside the caucus of the new House leadership.
Camacho was the running mate of former Sen. Juan T. Guerrero, the Independent candidate who placed third in the four-way Nov. 7 gubernatorial election.
“The Covenant and Independent members of the 17th Commonwealth House of Representatives look forward to working cooperatively and collaboratively with their Republican colleagues,” said Camacho in a statement.
The incoming House leadership also announced the new committee chairpersons: Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan,Ways and Means; Frederick P. Deleon Guerrero, Ind.-Saipan, Federal and Foreign Relations; Sylvestre I. Iguel, Covenant-Saipan, Health and Welfare; Raymond D. Palacios, Covenant-Saipan, Education; Teresita A. Santos, Ind.-Rota, Natural Resources; Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications; Edmund S. Villagomez, Covenant-Saipan, Commerce and Tourism; and Rafael S. Demapan, Covenant-Saipan, Judiciary and Governmental Operations.
For the first time in CNMI history, no Democrat will serve in the House of Representatives.
