Joseph S. Inos
{{Short description|North Marianan politician}}
Joseph Songao Inos (born December 31, 1947) is a politician from the Northern Mariana Islands. He has served as a member of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate and as the Mayor of Rota.
Biography
Inos was born on Rota,{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinamerica0002marq/page/2394/mode/2up|title=Who's Who in American Politics|year=1997–1998|page=2394|publisher=Marquis Who's Who |isbn=978-0-8379-6902-2 }} and was the brother of Governor Eloy Inos.{{cite news|title=Former Rota mayor nominated for gubernatorial bid|first=Cherrie Anne E.|last=Villahermosa|newspaper=The Guam Daily Post|date=January 23, 2018|access-date=April 23, 2024|url=https://www.postguam.com/news/cnmi/former-rota-mayor-nominated-for-gubernatorial-bid/article_e637014a-ff35-11e7-a1c8-f357e60487c3.html}} Inos was elected to the Northern Mariana Islands Senate in the 1978 general election. During the 1st Commonwealth Legislature, he was a sponsor of the bill that set up the judicial branch of the Northern Mariana Islands.{{cite web|last=Torres|first=Joaquin S. (Senate Clerk)|title=Public Law 1-05|date=June 14, 1978|publisher=Northern Mariana Islands Senate|access-date=April 23, 2024|url=https://www.cnmilaw.gov/pdf/public_laws/01/pl01-05.pdf|via=Northern Mariana Islands Bar Association}} He then served sixteen years in the CNMI Senate representing Rota. He served as the floor leader in the 4th and 6th Legislature. During the 7th and 8th Commonwealth Legislatures, Inos was the President of the Senate.{{cite news|first=Ferdie |last=De La Torre |title=Joseph S. Inos is Dems' gubernatorial bet |url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/joseph-s-inos-dems-gubernatorial-bet/ |work=Saipan Tribune |date=2018-01-22 |access-date=2018-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104134625/https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/joseph-s-inos-dems-gubernatorial-bet/ |archive-date=2018-11-04 |url-status=live}}
He then served two non-consecutive terms as the Mayor of Rota. Inos announced his candidacy for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands on the Democratic ticket on January 19, 2018. Shortly after, he withdrew from the race on February 7, 2018, citing a lack of unified support from his predominantly-Republican family who sided with his brother's running mate and successor as Governor Ralph Torres.{{cite journal|last=Dandan|first=Zaldy|title=Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events (1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018)|journal=Contemporary Pacific|volume=31|number=1|page=184|year=2019|access-date=April 22, 2024|via=eVols|url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/1b1f54ca-40b5-4240-bf02-b1d4c5dfc9bd/content}}