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Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (born January 19, 1955) is a Northern Mariana Islander politician and former election commissioner. Elected in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, Sablan became the first delegate to the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonwea ...
. Sablan is the only
Chamorro Chamorro may refer to: * Chamorro people, the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific * Chamorro language, an Austronesian language indigenous to The Marianas * Chamorro Time Zone, the time zone of Guam and the Northern Mari ...
member of Congress. Sablan has been a member of the Democratic Party throughout his life, but ran as an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
for the delegate position, as the Democrats had nominated another candidate. He immediately changed his party affiliation in the House to Democratic in 2009, caucuses with Democrats and has remained an official party member during his tenure, but ran as an Independent in all of his reelection campaigns between
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
and
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
. He ran as a Democrat for the first time in
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
.


Early life and education

Sablan was born on
Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
, capital of the CNMI, on January 19, 1955. He was the only son of seven children. He grew up in an extended family, spending much time with his grandparents. His father was an employee of
Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank ...
. His uncle was the mayor of Saipan. At the age of eleven, Sablan began boarding at Xavier High School, a
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
school in Chuuk in the
Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states compr ...
, then administered by the United States. He then returned to Saipan, where he graduated from
Marianas High School Marianas High School (MHS) is a public high school located in Susupe on Saipan in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). It is one of six high schools operated by the CNMI Public School System, and the largest of ...
. At the age of sixteen, Sablan began attending the
University of Guam University of Guam ( ch, Unibetsedåt Guåhan) (U.O.G.) is a public land-grant university in Mangilao, Guam. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and offers thirty-four degree programs at the undergraduate level a ...
before transferring to the
University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...
. However, he dropped out of college when his father lost his job. Upon returning to Saipan, Sablan married and had three children. He later attended the
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The University of Hawaii at Mānoa (University of Hawaii—Mānoa, UH Mānoa, Hawai'i, or simply UH) is a public land-grant research university in Mānoa, a neighborhood in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the flagship campus of the University of Haw ...
from 1989 until 1990, but did not graduate. Sablan is married to Andrea, a
Filipino American Filipino Americans ( fil, Mga Pilipinong Amerikano) are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities in North America were first documented in the 16th century as slaves and prisoners on ships sailing to and from New ...
, and has six children, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.


Early political career

In the 1981 general election, Sablan defeated Republican candidate Manuel D. Muna for the open seat in Precinct 2 in what was otherwise a strongly Republican election year. Sablan served two terms in the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature from 1982 until 1986 as a Democrat. During his time in the legislature, he was selected as a special representative to hold talks with the
United States Assistant Secretary of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
to negotiate federal assistance for the CNMI. He retired from the Commonwealth Legislature to become Special Assistant to
Daniel Inouye Daniel Ken Inouye ( ; September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. representative ...
, a
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...
from
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, during the late 1980s. After this, he briefly returned to college before returning to the CNMI to serve as Special Assistant for Management and Budget in the administration of
Froilan Tenorio Froilan Cruz "Lang" Tenorio (September 9, 1939 – May 4, 2020) was a Northern Mariana Islander politician who was the fourth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. Elected in 1993, he served one term from January 10, 1994 to January 12, 1998 ...
(1994–98). He later served as a Special Assistant in the administration of Pedro P. Tenorio (1998–2002) before being appointed Executive Director of the Commonwealth Election Commission, a position in which he served until he filed to run for delegate.


Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives


Background

For 30 years, beginning in 1978, citizens of the CNMI elected a Resident Representative, commonly known as
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
representative, an office established by Article V of the
Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is the governing document of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana ...
for the purpose of representing the CNMI in the United States capital and performing related official duties established by CNMI law. In 2008, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, signed into law by
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
George W. Bush, replaced the position of resident representative with a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives. The other United States insular areas,
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
,
American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internatio ...
, the
United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
, and
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, as well as the
District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...
, already had nonvoting delegates to Congress. The new position received the power to serve in congressional committees, to introduce bills, and to vote on proposed legislation in committee, but still had limited powers on the House floor, lacking the right to vote on legislation on the House floor. The election of the first delegate was set for November 4, 2008. It was the only contest on the ballot, as local elections in the CNMI occurred in odd-numbered years through 2009 and residents of the CNMI do not have the right to vote in United States presidential elections.


Elections


2008

Sitting Resident Representative Pedro A. Tenorio, a
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, announced his candidacy for the new office. David Cing, a former member of the
Northern Mariana Islands Senate The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The Senate consists of nine senators representing three senatorial districts (Saipan & the Northern Islands, Tinian & Aguijan, and ...
, received the nomination of the Democratic Party of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is not officially affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Seven independents also ran for the office, including Sablan. Although Sablan was traditionally affiliated with the Democratic Party, he chose to run as an independent. In the CNMI's first federal election, fewer than 13,000 people registered to vote in the election, and 79 percent of those who registered voted in the election. During the campaign, Sablan stated that as delegate, he would seek to bring more federal funding for education, more federal funding for health care, and federal funding for a more productive search for effective alternative energy sources to the CNMI. He also said that as delegate he will introduce and pursue passage of submerged lands legislation that would give the CNMI economic rights and regulation for submerged lands and waters out 200 miles from the islands. He also supports federal funding for a
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, m ...
station in the CNMI, although one already exists in neighboring Guam. Sablan was elected the CNMI's first delegate to the House of Representatives on November 4, 2008, receiving 2,474 votes, or 23% of the vote. He defeated Tenorio, who received 20%, by only 357 votes. Other close competitors included fellow independents John Gonzales, who received 18.73% of the vote, and Juan Lizama, who received 17.34%.


2010

In a four-way race, Sablan received 4,896 votes (43%) defeating the Covenant Party's
Joe Camacho Joseph James Norita Camacho (born ?) is a Northern Mariana Islands lawyer and politician. He is a Representative in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, as of 2009, and served as the House's floor leader in the 16th Northern Ma ...
(2,744), the Republican Party's former
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Juan Babauta Juan Nekai Babauta (born September 7, 1953) is a Northern Mariana Islander politician who served as the sixth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from January 14, 2002 to January 9, 2006. Biography Early life and education Juan Babauta wa ...
(1,978) and Democrat former
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Jesus Borja Jesus "Jesse" Camacho Borja (born September 14, 1948) is a Northern Mariana Islander politician and lawyer who served as the fourth lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from January 10, 1994 until January 12, 1998 under former Democr ...
(1,707) in the 2010 general election.


2012

Sablan received 9,829 votes (80%) of the votes to Republican Ignacia T. Demapan's 2,503 votes in the November 2012 general election. Sablan is the first political candidate to record such a high winning total over an opponent.


2014

Sablan won the November 2014 election with 65.3% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Andrew Sablan Salas.


2016

Sablan successfully ran unopposed in the November 2016 election.


2018

Sablan won the November 2018 election, which was delayed for a week due to the impact of
Typhoon Yutu Typhoon Yutu, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Rosita, was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic destruction on the islands of Tinian and Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, and later impacted the Philippi ...
, with 64.6% of the vote, defeating Republican candidate Angel Demapan.


2020

Sablan successfully ran unopposed in the November 2020 election. He received 11,449 votes, the CNMI's highest vote ever received by a candidate for an elected office.


2022

Sablan successfully ran unopposed in the November 2022 election. Previously an independent who caucused with the Democratic Party, he ran for re-election as the Democratic nominee for the first time in his career.


Tenure

Sablan assumed office on January 3, 2009, and was sworn in on January 6. Sablan decided to caucus with the Democratic Party. Several dignitaries from the Northern Mariana Islands attended Sablan's swearing-in-ceremony by House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
, including
Edward Pangelinan Edward De Leon Guerrero Pangelinan (October 24, 1941 – February 4, 2023) was a politician from the Northern Mariana Islands. He served as the Chairman of the Marianas Political Status Commission and later as the 1st Resident Representative f ...
, the first CNMI Resident Representative in Washington, and the outgoing CNMI Resident Representative in Washington, Pete Tenorio, whom Sablan defeated in the 2008 election. On February 10, 2009, Sablan introduced submerged lands legislation which would give the CNMI "the same benefits in its submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have in their submerged lands." The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 416–0 on July 15, 2009 but stalled in the Senate. Sablan has also introduced a bill which would provide for the establishment of
Job Corps Job Corps is a program administered by the United States Department of Labor that offers free education and vocational training to young men and women ages 16 to 24. Mission and purpose Job Corps' mission is to help young people ages 16 throug ...
centers in U.S. territories and a bill which would authorize college tuition grants of up to $15,000 per year to graduates of CNMI high schools. The latter bill would also allow CNMI students to pay "in-state tuition" at any public college or university in the United States. Both bills stalled in the House. As of September 2018, Sablan had sponsored two bills and cosponsored 37 that ultimately became law. As delegate, Sablan has sought and often secured earmarks, energy grants, and other federal funding for projects in the CNMI. Much of this funding came from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...
. The ARRA did not include the CNMI in a 13.86% across-the-board increase in food stamp benefits nationally, but Sablan successfully lobbied
Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...
Tom Vilsack to reprogram $1.459 million to give the Northern Marianas the same 13.86% increase as the rest of the country. According to a report released by
AOL AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
News in July 2010, by the end of June 2010 (nine months into the
US Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...
's
fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...
), Sablan had spent more money from his Members Representational Allowances on food than any other congressman with $23,457. Sablan said that the amount was used to refund staffers for various travel costs.


Committee assignments

*
Committee on Education and Labor The Committee on Education and Labor is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. There are 50 members in this committee. Since 2019, the chair of the Education and Labor committee is Robert Cortez Scott of Virginia. Hi ...
** Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education (Chair) *
Committee on Natural Resources Committee on Natural Resources may refer to: * Philippine House Committee on Natural Resources, a committee of the House of Representatives of the Philippines * United States House Committee on Natural Resources, a committee of the U.S. House of R ...
(Vice Chair for Full Committee Insular Affairs) ** Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands * Committee on Veterans' Affairs **
Subcommittee on Health The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is a subcommittee within the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Jurisdiction The House Subcommittee on Health has general jurisdiction over bills and resolutions relating to pub ...
** Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations * Committee on Agriculture ** Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations


Caucus memberships

*American Citizens Abroad Caucus *
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is a caucus consisting of members of the United States Congress who are Asian American and Pacific Islander ( AAPI), and who have a strong interest in advocating and promoting issues and c ...
*
Congressional Hispanic Caucus The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is an organization of 38 Democratic members of the United States Congress of Hispanic and Latino descent. The Caucus focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. The CHC was fou ...
*Congressional Victim's Rights Caucus *
United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus The U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus, founded in September 2003, is a bipartisan congressional organization with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advanc ...
*National Marine Sanctuary Caucus * Congressional Arts Caucus * U.S.-Japan Caucus


See also

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


References


External links


Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan
official U.S. House website * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sablan, Gregorio 1955 births 21st-century American politicians Chamorro people Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from the Northern Mariana Islands Democratic Party (Northern Mariana Islands) politicians Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from the Northern Mariana Islands Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress Living people Northern Mariana Islands Roman Catholics People from Saipan