On Dandan Road, Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, right, joined the young supporters of U.S. delegate candidate Edwin Propst, Saipan senatorial candidate Manny Gregory T. Castro and Rep. Diego Vincent Camacho, who was seeking reelection.
IN Oct. 2022, after the local Republican Party refused to hold a gubernatorial primary, then-Republican Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and his running mate, then-Republican Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, bolted the GOP and announced their independent candidacies.
For the gubernatorial runoff, they signed a unity pledge with the local Democratic Party, which endorsed their candidacies.
Palacios and Apatang then went on to defeat the Republican slate of then-Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and his running mate, then-Sen. Vinnie Sablan.
The Independent-Democratic alliance also won a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
As governor, Palacios named several Democrats to important executive branch positions, including former Rep. Tina Sablan and her running mate, former Rep. Leila Staffler. The two finished third in the gubernatorial election.
Fast forward to December 2024. In a media release, the Republican National Committee announced that Palacios and American Samoa Gov.-elect Pulaalii Nikolao Pula were joining the Republican Party.
The RNC also quoted Palacios as saying, “I was elected to serve the best interests of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands above all else, and that commitment remains unwavering. It is clear to me that President Trump and the Republican Party’s message of freedom, opportunity, and strength at home and on a global stage best aligns with the vision and priorities of improving the economy and creating better opportunities for every family in the Northern Mariana Islands. I look forward to working with fellow Republicans on our shared work ahead.”
An active member of the NMI Republican Party who requested anonymity told Variety on Friday that they were unaware of the governor’s plan to rejoin the GOP. The NMI Republican said it appeared that the governor communicated directly to the RNC “without consent of the NMI Republican Party.”
Stay tuned.
