Benigno Fitial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benigno Fitial
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Fitial in 2009
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| 7th Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | |
| In office January 9, 2006 – February 20, 2013 |
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| Lieutenant | Timothy Villagomez Eloy Inos |
| Preceded by | Juan Babauta |
| Succeeded by | Eloy Inos |
| Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives | |
| In office January 12, 2004 – January 9, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Heinz Hofschneider |
| Succeeded by | Oscar M. Babauta |
| In office January 10, 2000 – January 14, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Diego T. Benavente |
| Succeeded by | Heinz Hofschneider |
| In office January 11, 1982 – January 9, 1984 |
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| Preceded by | Joaquin Pangelinan |
| Succeeded by | Vicente Sablan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Benigno Repeki Fitial
November 27, 1945 Saipan, Mariana Islands, South Pacific Mandate |
| Political party | Republican (before 2001, 2011–present) Covenant (2001–2011) |
| Spouse | Josie Padiermos |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | University of Guam (BBA) |
Benigno Repeki Fitial was born on November 27, 1945. He is a politician from the Northern Mariana Islands. He served as the seventh governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. He was the second longest-serving governor in the history of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
Fitial was first elected governor on November 6, 2005. He started his term on January 9, 2006. He was re-elected for a second term in 2009. He resigned from his position on February 20, 2013. This happened after he faced serious accusations from the CNMI House of Representatives. He was the first governor in any U.S. territory or commonwealth to face such a process.
Contents
About Benigno Fitial
Early Life and Education
Benigno Fitial was born on November 27, 1945. He grew up in a family with roots in the Satawalese culture. In 1964, he graduated with honors from Mt. Carmel School in Saipan.
He later earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Guam. He focused on business management during his studies. The University of Guam has recognized him as a distinguished alumnus.
Family Life
Fitial is the first elected governor of Carolinian descent in the CNMI. Carolinians are people originally from the Caroline Islands. Many of their ancestors moved to the Northern Mariana Islands in the 1800s.
He is married to Josie Padiermos. She moved to the CNMI in 1983 for work. They have two children together, Patrick and Christina. Benigno Fitial also has four children from a previous marriage: Jason, Cathy, Junella, and Julie. The family lives in Gualo Rai, Saipan.
Benigno Fitial's Political Journey
Starting in Government
Before becoming governor, Fitial worked in different government roles. He was a budget analyst for the government of the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. He also worked as an executive for Tan Holdings Corporation. This company was a large clothing maker in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Fitial was a member of the Republican Party. He even served as the chairman of the Republican Party in the CNMI.
Founding a New Party
In 2001, Fitial left the Republican Party. He then started his own political group, the Covenant Party. He used this party to run for governor in 2001. However, he lost that election to Juan N. Babauta.
In 2003, Fitial was elected to the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives. His Covenant Party won enough seats to become the majority party. Because of this, Fitial was chosen by the House to be the Speaker. He represented Precinct 3, which includes parts of Saipan and the northern islands.
Becoming Governor
Fitial became the seventh governor of the CNMI. He won the 2005 election by a very small number of votes. It was the closest gubernatorial election in the Commonwealth's history. He and his running mate, Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Villagomez, took office on January 9, 2006.
Soon after becoming governor, he made a rule for his cabinet members. They had to wear business clothes for work.
Challenges as Governor
Fitial faced many challenges during his first term. These included money problems and a weak economy. Tourism from Japan was also decreasing. There were also issues with electrical power.
Some people thought Fitial was trying to gain too much power. They said he took control of some government agencies. However, Fitial and his supporters said these actions were needed. They believed it would help cut down on government spending.
In late 2006, Fitial had surgery in Los Angeles for a back problem. He was away from office for several weeks to recover.
In 2009, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Villagomez resigned. This happened after he was found guilty of federal charges. Governor Fitial then appointed Eloy Inos to be the new lieutenant governor. Inos was approved by the Senate and sworn into office.
Re-election Campaign
In March 2009, Governor Benigno Fitial announced he would run for re-election. He and Eloy Inos officially filed their papers to run in July 2009.
In the November 2009 election, no candidate won a majority of votes. This led to a second election, called a runoff, between Fitial and Heinz Hofschneider. Fitial won the runoff election by 370 votes. This meant he was re-elected for a second term. His new term was set to be five years long.
Impeachment and Resignation
In 2013, Benigno Fitial became the first governor in any U.S. island area to face an impeachment process. He was the 13th governor in U.S. history to be impeached.
On January 14, 2013, the CNMI House of Representatives began the process. They filed 18 Articles of Impeachment against Fitial. These articles contained various accusations related to his duties and actions as governor. The House voted to approve 13 of these articles on February 11, 2013. They approved the remaining 5 articles the next day.
These 18 accusations were sent to the Senate. The Senate was going to hold a trial to decide if Fitial should be removed from office. However, Benigno Fitial resigned on February 20, 2013. He stated "personal health" and the "best interests of the Commonwealth" as reasons for his decision. He was the first governor in CNMI history to resign from office.
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Other Roles and Contributions
Benigno Fitial held many important positions throughout his career:
- He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 3rd, 12th, and 14th NMI Legislatures.
- He also served as Vice Speaker and Minority Leader in earlier legislatures.
- He worked as a Budget Officer and Chief Administrative Officer for the NMI Legislature.
- In business, he was President of the Bank of Saipan and Vice President of Tan Holdings Corporation.
- He was the founder of the CNMI Covenant Party.
- He served as Chairman of the Northern Marianas Republican Party.
- He was also involved in various boards and task forces, including the CNMI Zoning Board and the Civil Service Commission.
See also
In Spanish: Benigno Fitial para niños
