Diego Benavente

Diego Tenorio Benavente was born April 21, 1959. He graduated from Carmel High School in 1977. He then attended the College of Southern Idaho receiving an education in electrical engineering. Upon returning from Idaho, he started his own business.{{cite web|last=Deleon Guerrero|first=Joseph P.|title=House Resolution 17-65|date=August 12, 2011|publisher=Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature|access-date=April 18, 2024|url=https://cnmileg.net/documents/house/hse_res/17/HR17-065.pdf}} Benavente first ran for election in 1987, when he narrowly lost his bid for election to the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives in Precinct II by just six votes.{{cite news|first=Agnes E. |last=Donato |title=Diego launches bid for governor |url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=86102&cat=1 |work=Saipan Tribune |date=2008-12-12 |accessdate=2011-04-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405191528/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=86102&cat=1 |archivedate=2012-04-05 }} However, Benavente was elected to the House in his second campaign in 1989. He served in the House for six consecutive terms, including three terms as the Speaker of the House. He left the House in 2000 to run for Lieutenant Governor in 2001.

Benavente was elected Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands as the running mate of Juan Babauta in the 2001 gubernatorial election. In the 2005 election, the Babauta-Benavente ticket finished third of four candidates with Benigno Fitial and his running mate Timothy Villagomez of the Covenant Party winning the election.{{cite journal|last=McPhetres|first=Samuel F.|title=Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands|journal=The Contemporary Pacific: A Journal of Island Affairs|volume=19|number=1|year=2007|page=190|publisher=University of Hawaiʻi Press|access-date=April 18, 2024|url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/053984cc-3066-4189-9c87-85fe6949c14a/content}}

Benavente announced his candidacy for Governor in the 2009 election on December 11, 2008. However, Benavente dropped out of the race in February 2009 leaving two candidates - Heinz Hofschneider and Juan Babauta - in the race for the Republican nomination.{{cite news

|first=Moneth

|last=Deposa

|title=Diego backs out of gubernatorial race

|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=88125

|work=Saipan Tribune

|date=2009-02-27

|accessdate=2011-04-11

|url-status=dead

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405191606/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=88125

|archivedate=2012-04-05

}}

Benavente was again elected to the CNMI House of Representatives in 2007. He is currently serves as the Minority Leader of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives as of April 2011.{{cite news|first=Haidee V. |last=Eugenio |title=Benavente calls on the public to air concern on lifting of net fishing ban |url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=108267 |work=Saipan Tribune |date=2011-04-01 |accessdate=2011-04-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405191453/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=108267 |archivedate=2012-04-05 }}

Benavente was elected president of the CNMI Republican Party on August 28, 2023.{{cite web|title= Benavente is elected president of the CNMI Republican Party|date=August 28, 2023|publisher=Saipan Tribune|access-date=April 21, 2024|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/news/local/benavente-is-elected-president-of-the-cnmi-republican-party/article_8eef7bd6-44b4-11ee-bd1d-7364f4805597.html|author= -Press Release}} He resigned the position effective November 20, 2024.{{cite news|last=Manabat|first=Bryan|title=Benavente steps down as GOP president|date=December 2, 2024|newspaper=Marianas Variety|access-date=January 11, 2025|url=https://www.mvariety.com/news/local/benavente-steps-down-as-gop-president/article_7020aace-afaf-11ef-818f-bbbf36a2e229.html}} Former Representative Ramon Angailen Tebuteb succeeded Benavente as the party's chairman.{{cite web|url= https://gop.com/about-our-party/rnc-members/|access-date=January 21, 2025|title=RNC Members|publisher=Republican National Committee}}{{cite news|title=Local GOP challenges governor’s return to party|date=January 8, 2025|newspaper=Marianas Variety|access-date=January 21, 2025|url=https://www.mvariety.com/news/local/local-gop-challenges-governor-s-return-to-party/article_dca70e5e-ccd3-11ef-932f-03acee1f9afa.html}}

{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before=Thomas Pangelinan Villagomez}}

{{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives |years=1994–2000}}

{{s-aft|after=Benigno Fitial}}

|-

{{s-bef|before=Jesus Sablan}}

{{s-ttl|title=Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands|years=2002–2006}}

{{s-aft|after=Timothy Villagomez}}

|-

{{s-ppo}}

{{s-bef|before=Candace Celis}}

{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the Northern Mariana Islands Republican Party|years=2023–2024}}

{{s-aft|after=Ramon Tebuteb}}

{{s-end}}

{{Lieutenant Governors of the Northern Mariana Islands}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benavente, Diego}}

Category:1959 births

Category:Lieutenant governors of the Northern Mariana Islands

Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party (Northern Mariana Islands) politicians

Category:Speakers of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives

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