2026 Northern Mariana Islands general election
The 2026 Northern Mariana Islands General election will be held on November 3, 2026, corresponding with the 2026 United States general elections. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands will vote for the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, the non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, attorney general, 6 seats in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, all twenty seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, 4 mayors, seats for the various municipal councils, and seats for the board of education.
Background
Since 2023, a governing coalition made up of independents and Democrats has governed the Northern Mariana Islands. In the 2024 general election, Republicans won the open US delegate seat while independents not aligned with the Arnold Palacios administration made modest gains in the legislature. The Republican National Committee announced Palacios rejoined the Republican Party after the 2024 elections. Palacios’ return received a lukewarm to hostile reception from local Republicans.Key issues for the 2026 election remain similar to the previous general elections, with the economy and corruption being key issues that many criticize Governor Palacios and the Democrat-Independent Coalition for failing to rectify. The island’s largest industry, tourism, have not recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic, and tourism have fallen compared to 2024 numbers. Another issue is the Administration’s hostility to reopening the Chinese tourism market, likely due to the declining relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The decision by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to abruptly stop processing travelers’ applications under the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program has crippled the Chinese tourism market for the CNMI. The two weekly flights by Hong Kong Airlines have been suspended until June 16 pending reinstatement of the program.