By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds has submitted her letter of intent to seek re-election to the NMI Republican Party board of directors. She respectfully requested consideration in a on Dec. 12, 2025 letter addressed to party president Patrick M. Cepeda.
King-Hinds, the first female and first Republican CNMI delegate to the U.S. Congress, recalled that when she first ran for this office, she pledged to help rebuild an economy that works for the people of the islands.
She told the party president, “We have made progress, but the work ahead remains substantial. Our economy is still fragile. Families are stretched thin, local businesses face rising costs and shrinking demand, and too many of our young people continue to leave because they do not see a future here.”
Since taking office, King-Hinds has focused on rebuilding the foundations necessary for recovery. She worked to keep federal partners engaged to secure financial resources for CNMI hospitals, schools, and veterans, while restoring confidence that the Commonwealth can manage its own affairs responsibly.
“These efforts are essential, but the work to stem the decline alone is not enough,” she said. “The steps ahead must be toward growth that lasts. We need jobs that pay a living wage, affordable utilities, public spending that reflects real priorities, and a government that earns the trust of its people by showing up, telling the truth, and delivering results that families can feel in their homes and in their paychecks.”
King-Hinds said many of the hardships facing the CNMI were not inevitable. “Elections matter because leadership matters, and leadership requires honesty and the courage to make difficult decisions,” she said. She noted that the recent federal government shutdown showcased the islands’ vulnerability.
“We are too dependent on federal aid, yet we rarely ask whether that dependency is moving us forward. Programs like nutrition assistance are necessary during hardship, but they should serve as a bridge, not a ceiling. Our work in Congress must learn from these lessons and build toward accountability, opportunity, and outcomes that help families stand on their own,” she said.
King-Hinds added that the CNMI “is not meeting that standard. Our economy has drifted from one built on work and enterprise toward one sustained by federal spending. Federal dollars may keep programs operating, but they cannot replace the economic activity that gives families work, businesses customers, and communities stability. Our task is to rebuild an economy grounded in production, participation, and pride in our own capacity to provide.”
She said she wants to run as a Republican because she believes the CNMI needs leadership rooted in principle and personal responsibility. “I believe in a Republican Party that trusts people to build and provide for their families, that understands government exists to protect freedom, not manage every part of life, and that values discipline, service, and results,” she said.
“The Republican Party I belong to is more than any one person or political moment. It is a tradition of leadership that prizes honesty, steadiness, and service. We have seen times when that tradition was forgotten, both nationally and here at home. But we have also seen what it can accomplish when it stays true to its purpose,” she added.
King-Hinds also highlighted the role of Republican leadership in the CNMI’s history, noting that it was under a Republican president that the Covenant was signed into law, solidifying the islands’ relationship with the United States. She said it was also Republicans who helped deliver Covenant funds, build the islands’ first schools and hospitals, and lay the foundation for self-government.
“These actions came from a belief that small communities, when trusted to govern themselves, could thrive,” she said.
She stressed the importance of honesty about policies that have harmed the CNMI, including federalization, burdensome regulation, the loss of Covenant funds, and challenges in the tourism industry. Returning to the principles that built the Commonwealth, she said, requires “freedom, accountability, and faith in our own people. Our story is not one of helplessness, but of endurance through individual and collective strength of will and a commitment to preserve what matters most. That same belief — that our success is in our own hands — must guide us now as we build a future that lasts.”
King-Hinds expressed appreciation for the party’s trust and confidence, respectfully seeking its continued guidance and support, “and I commit to doing my part to strengthen the unity and long-term success of the CNMI Republican Party.”
Northern Marianas College President Dr. Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero announced his independent candidacy for CNMI delegate in June 2025.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
