Dennis C. Mendiola
Dennis James Camacho Mendiola is a Northern Mariana Islander politician. He is the 14th and current lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. Prior to his elevation to the lieutenant governorship after the death of Arnold Palacios, he served as a Republican member for the 1st district of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate.
He attended the University of Guam and graduated with a degree in public administration and a minor in military science. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the US Army National Guard. He medically retired in 2015 at the rank of captain after a battle with cancer. Mendiola served as the Commissioner of Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. In 2020, he was the Republican candidate against incumbent Paul Manglona. He lost with 666 votes to Manglona's 764 votes. He ran again in the 2022 election winning a five-way race for two seats in the Senate. On January 8, 2025, it was announced that Mendiola would be elected to the position of President of the Senate for the 24th Commonwealth Legislature.