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6/20/2025—Northern Marianas College president Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero announced his candidacy for delegate to U.S. Congress last June 19 at his residence in Marpi surrounded by family, friends, and supporters.
Deleon Guerrero, who will be running as an independent, said he made his candidacy official exactly 502 days before the 2026 general elections to give his campaign ample time to get their message across the CNMI electorate.
He also said he’s not resigning immediately from NMC and instead will take a leave of absence once he files his candidacy to the Commonwealth Election Commission in August 2026.
“I've been working closely with our Board of Regents as well as our legal counsel and the college leadership. We're going to comply with all applicable policies and procedures at the college. Tomorrow (June 20), I understand that the board's going to be releasing a statement soon, but basically, long story short, I will take a leave of absence as soon as my candidacy is certified later next year. Until that time, I will continue serving as president of NMC.”
In an interview with media after his announcement, the 52-year-old academician said if he wins, he will navigate the Trump presidency by borrowing heavily from his uncle’s playbook. His uncle is eight-term CNMI delegate to U.S. Congress Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan.
“He was very effective at securing important legislation for the CNMI while Trump was president the first time around. And that was also a Republican Congress. That's one of the reasons why I'm running as an independent, is I want to be able to work with both sides of the aisle and ensure that the CNMI benefits from legislation.”
Deleon Guerrero said the idea of running for Congress was first planted in his mind following the announcement of a pause on federal funding in early 2025.
“I remember meeting with my team, trying to make sure that everything was stabilized at the college to ensure that our programs would continue to run, that our students would continue to be served. And as soon as I did that, I went around campus, just kind of checking in on different offices, different programs, different people, and just trying to provide them with assurances that, hey, we know it's uncertain right now, we know it's turbulent, but we're assuring you that we're going to take care of you. And I ran into people, I ran into employees, I ran into students who were in tears, because they were shook. They didn't know what was going to happen, and they were so scared.”
He said he believes he can do more than the current incumbent, Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds, who like him was a former member of the NMC Board of Regents.
“We've done a lot at the college. Since coming on board, we've been able to make sure that we got buildings off the ground, our student center is almost done, we're going to be breaking ground on more buildings. We're making incredible progress in a lot of initiatives, like the Sea Grant, and, you know, we were able to secure a lot of programs like the NextGen grant. But all of that is in jeopardy. And that's when I realized, like, maybe there's more I can do for more people.”
Asked what he would do differently as delegate, Deleon Guerrero said he will kind of adopt Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho’s slogan, which is “If you see something, say something.”
“In my mind, if you see something, say something and do something. When there are proposed, when there are actual cuts to programs like the scholarships that benefit students because of cuts to the National Science Foundation, you know, our delegate should speak up, should say something and do something. When there are proposed cuts to critical programs like Medicaid or federal financial aid or a whole range of other programs that benefit our people, food assistance, who is going to speak up for us? If you see that happening, say something and do something about it. So that's what I intend to do, is to say something and do as much as I can.”
He also said unlike King-Hinds, who he said is more adversarial on her approach to solving issues, he tends to be much more collaborative.
“You know, I see a lot of good people here on island, whether they're in elected office or appointed officials or in the public and private sectors, I see a lot of people doing their best to try to turn things around here in the CNMI. And the last thing we need is for someone from Washington coming back and sort of, you know, dismissing them. We need someone who will be in DC who will speak up for us.”
Deleon Guerrero also views himself as someone who always focuses on what is possible.
“When I make films, one of my students coined a phrase, it's not low-budget filmmaking, it's no-budget filmmaking. We've made some incredible shows with almost no money. I don't like to focus on why things can't happen. I like to ask, how can we make it happen? And believe me, I know Washington, D.C. is a swamp, right? And it's the political landscape is a difficult landscape to work in. But that's no reason to sort of throw your hands up and say, well, this is the way D.C, works. And there's not much we can really do. Kilili was able to do something.”
And speaking of Sablan, Deleon Guerrero said he is, for now, his campaign manager, which is a reversal of roles as the latter used to run the campaign of the former. Lucy Nielsen, his aunt and former Finance secretary, meanwhile will be his treasurer.
When asked about his plan to lift the CNMI from the economic quagmire it’s currently on, Deleon Guerrero offered two immediate things—leverage the CNMI’s unique tax structure and exemption from tariffs.
Being a lifelong educator, he also sees advancing education as one of his strong points.
“I know for sure that an educated community is a prosperous community. And I see education under assault right now from K-12 through higher ed. And I intend to ensure that our schools, our educational systems get the support that they need so that they can ensure that we have an educated citizenry.”
Deleon Guerrero also wants to diversify the local economy and his golden ticket is food security.
“One promising industry, and I am convinced that if we had the right pieces of federal legislation, federal funding, and even federal networks and national networks and partners, we can do a better job, a much better job at improving food security. We import over 90% of our food...During the Japanese era [and] throughout the Trustee days, we were exporting taro to Japan. And when we look at sort of the revolution in food science that's occurring in the world, there is a preference for cleaner, more organic food that is free of toxins. We are a ripe environment for that. So, we can do more than just meet the food needs of the CNMI. We could become the breadfruit basket of the Pacific. And we just need to make sure that we marshal all our forces to make that happen.”
As for the tourism industry, he suggested tapping into new markets after learning during the recent Economic Forun hosted by the Saipan Chamber of Commerce that over 80% of Hawaii's tourists come from the continental U.S.
“We're all thinking that it's all Asian tourists going to Hawaii, right? So, sure, there may be more flights going to Hawaii, but we're not that far from places like New Zealand, from Australia, from places throughout Southeast Asia. You know, and I think we really need to revise and refine our scope of what it means to be a tourism destination.”
When asked about the U.S. military helping contribute to the resurgence of the CNMI economy, he said he wants more specific provisions in federal contracting so that the CNMI won’t end up competing with California and other states for grants and contracts.
“We were turned down for that, even though we had high ranking DOD officials that said we were going to get it. We didn't get it. And that's really not fair to our small businesses who are just chomping at the bit to serve this growing industry.”
During the announcement, Sablan himself spoke and fully endorsed his nephew to the post he held for 16 years.
“I have known Galvin his entire life and I have known him to be very different. I would now like to let you all know that he's different in a way because I know he's much, much better than me. He's a much better person than me and that he can do much greater things than I did,” he said.
Sablan said while he has nothing against King-Hinds, he did criticize the Trump and Republican administration for their pro-rich policies.
“I'll be honest with you Democrats are the people who bring the programs that benefit us here. I mean, yes, we have great taxes, right? We're going to cut taxes for the very, very rich. I don't see anyone in this gathering that would benefit from that tax cut. But the other tax, the other cuts and programs we have, we espouse like Medicare, food assistance, utility assistance, and those different programs. Those are important to our people, even to those of us who don't benefit from those programs directly. So, I am endorsing Galvin!” he said.
Others who spoke during the event were Deleon Guerrero’s mother, Jessica Sablan Deleon Guerrero, and aunts, Nielsen and Velma Camacho.
In his speech after announcing his run for Congress, Galvin Deleon Guerrero essentially said the CNMI needs a delegate who “listens, not lectures.”
On the face of shrinking federal support, labor shortages, unbearable utility rates, threats to Medicaid, food assistance, and student aid, climate crisis damaging farms, shorelines, and waters, and military buildup continuing to expand across the islands without benefiting all our islands, he said the CNMI needs a delegate who bring people together instead of tearing them apart.
“That's why I stand here today to take a stand and to take up the fight. To fight for working families, to fight for fairness across all our islands, to fight for our educational institutions that are under attack, to fight for small businesses, our veterans, our youth, our environment, and our future. Because when I say I'm fighting for us, it's not a slogan, it's a promise, it's a commitment to the people of the CNMI and to the generations who are still counting on us to rise to this moment just as our people did 50 years ago.”
Deleon Guerrero added that the future of the Marianas deserves nothing less than our very best in Washington, D.C.
“That is why I humbly ask you to choose me to be your delegate, because I pledge to give nothing but my best, always fighting for us.”
The 2026 delegate run is not Deleon Guerrero’s first foray into the political arena. He was the running mate of former governor Juan N. Babauta’s gubernatorial bid in 2009, but the duo lost the Republican primary to former House speaker Heinz Hofschneider and his tandem, current Gov. Arnold I. Palacios.
In a statement, Kind-Hinds congratulated DeLeon Guerrero in his decision to run for Congress.
“I want to congratulate Galvin on declaring his candidacy. He’s a good friend, and I’ve always believed in encouraging people to level up and contribute to our community in whatever way they can,” she said.
By Mark Rabago
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