Froilan Tenorio facts for kids

Froilan Cruz "Lang" Tenorio (September 9, 1939 – May 4, 2020) was an important politician from the Northern Mariana Islands. He served as the fourth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. He was elected in 1993 and served one term. His time as governor was from January 10, 1994, to January 12, 1998.

During his political career, Tenorio was a member of several different parties. He started with the Democratic Party of the Northern Mariana Islands. Later, he joined the Covenant Party. As of 2021, he is the last Democrat to serve as governor of the territory.

Early Life and Career

Education and First Jobs

Froilan Tenorio finished his studies at the Territorial College of Guam in 1962. He earned an associate's degree there. Later, in 1967, he received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. This degree was from Marquette University.

After college, Tenorio worked for the public works department in Los Angeles, California. In 1972, he joined the Micronesian Construction Company. Just two years later, he started his own construction business.

Stepping into Politics

Tenorio began his career in elected office as a Senator for the CNMI. He served one term in this role. He also served three two-year terms as a representative in Washington.

He first tried to become governor in 1989. He ran again in 1993 and won the election.

Serving as Governor

Key Policies and Challenges

As governor, Tenorio focused on managing government money carefully. He warned lawmakers not to spend too much without also finding ways to bring in more money. However, a program that helped people with their income was later stopped. This happened because there wasn't enough money to keep it going.

Governor Tenorio often had disagreements with the legislature. This group of lawmakers was mostly from the Republican Party. His first major action as governor was to change how the government was organized. This change faced legal challenges and opposition from the legislature. Despite this, it was eventually put into effect. The legislature also often turned down the people Tenorio wanted to appoint to important positions.

Tenorio strongly opposed federal laws that would have changed minimum wage and immigration rules in the CNMI. At that time, the Northern Mariana Islands had its own rules for these things. The main industry there was making clothes. This industry often hired foreign workers, mainly from China. These workers were paid less than the U.S. minimum wage. They came to the CNMI through its unique immigration system. Years after Tenorio left office, federal laws did change these rules for the CNMI.

Re-election Attempt

In 1997, Tenorio tried to be re-elected as governor. Three candidates were running in the election. The Republican Party candidate, former governor Pedro P. Tenorio, won easily. He received 45.6% of the votes. The votes for the Democratic Party were split. They were divided between Governor Tenorio and his Lieutenant Governor, Jesus C. Borja. Governor Tenorio received 27.4% of the votes, and Borja received 27%. Tenorio left office in early 1998.

Later Political Career

After losing his re-election, Tenorio tried several times to become governor again. In 2001, he ran in another election with three other candidates. This time, he ran as the candidate for the Reform Party. He had started this party in 1999. However, he was defeated, and Juan N. Babauta became governor.

In 2005, Tenorio ran for governor once more. He returned to the Democratic Party for this election. He finished fourth in the race.

In May 2009, Tenorio announced he had joined the Covenant Party. He decided not to run for governor again. Instead, he ran for a seat in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives. He wanted to represent Precinct 1. Tenorio's campaign focused on increasing tourism and creating more jobs. He also wanted to improve the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation. He won the election and became the Speaker of the House from 2010 to 2013.

See also

• List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress