Reform Party (Northern Mariana Islands)

{{Short description|1999-2003 political party in the Northern Mariana Islands}}{{Infobox political party

| name = Reform Party

| colorcode = {{party color|Reform Party (Northern Mariana Islands)}}

| foundation = 1999

| ideology = Populism
Radical centrism

| country = the Northern Mariana Islands

| founder = Froilan Tenorio

| dissolved = 2002

| colors = {{Color box|{{party color|Reform Party (Northern Mariana Islands)}}}} Purple

| split = Democratic Party

| merged = Democratic Party

| position = Radical centrism

}}

The Reform Party was a political party in the Northern Mariana Islands. It was not an affiliate of the Reform Party USA but rather the American Reform Party, a splinter group.{{cite news|last=Dandan|first=Zaldy|title=New Party organized|volume=26|number=9|page=3|newspaper=Mariana's Variety|date=April 12, 1999|access-date=June 11, 2023|url=https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/51417/1/Marianas%20Variety%20Vol.%2026%2c%20No.%2019%2c%201999-04-12.pdf}}{{cite news|last=Dass|first=Jojo|title=Island-wide Election for House Reps Proposed|date=June 17, 1999|volume=26|number=70|newspaper=Marianas Variety|access-date=June 11, 2023|url=https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/51465/1/Marianas%20Variety%20Vol.%2026%2c%20No.%2070%2c%201999-06-17.pdf}}

==History==

The Reform Party was founded in 1999 by former Governor Froilan C. Tenorio, who claimed to be disgruntled and tired of the disunity showed by his former political affiliation, the Democrats.{{Cite web |last=Dandan |first=Zaldy |date=1999-03-22 |title=Froilan doubts Democrats to remain united for long |url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/94671b6a-1dfb-11e4-aedf-250bc8c9958e/ |access-date=2021-12-17 |website=Saipan Tribune |language=en-US}}{{cite news|last=Dass|first=Jojo|title=Island-wide Election for House Reps Proposed|date=June 17, 1999|volume=26|number=70|page=6|newspaper=Marianas Variety|access-date=June 11, 2023|url=https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/51465/1/Marianas%20Variety%20Vol.%2026%2c%20No.%2070%2c%201999-06-17.pdf}} He also targeted the Republicans, saying that they did nothing to improve the slumping economy. Despite this, in 2000, Gubernatorial and Democrat hopeful former Lt. Gov. Jesus C. Borja publicly expressed interest in a Democrat-Reform united front against the Republicans in the 2001 elections.{{Cite web|date=2000-06-15|title=Borja welcomes coalition with Reform Party|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/95fd64b7-1dfb-11e4-aedf-250bc8c9958e/|access-date=2021-12-17|website=Saipan Tribune|language=en-US}}

In the 1999 general elections, the Reform Party won their first and only seat in the Northern Mariana Island Senate with candidate Ramon "Kumoi" Santos Deleon Guerrero.{{Cite web |date=2008-07-24 |title=The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands American Reform Party Application |url=http://www.americanreform.org/Mariana-Islands/ |access-date=2021-12-17 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724040943/http://www.americanreform.org/Mariana-Islands/ |archive-date=24 July 2008 |url-status=dead}}

In the general elections held on 3 November 2001, the party won no seats and gubernatorial candidate Froilan Cruz Tenorio of the Reform Party won 1,368 votes out of the 12,124 votes (11.3%) coming in fourth place, defeated by the Republicans (42.8%), Covenant (24.4%), and Democrats (17.5%).{{Cite web|date=2006-11-04|title=Flashback November 05, 2001-2002|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/a98dfd18-1dfb-11e4-aedf-250bc8c9958e/|access-date=2021-12-17|website=Saipan Tribune|language=en-US}} The Reform Party was formally dissolved in 2002, remerging into the Democratic Party.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Variety News |date=2002-06-13 |title=Tenorio returns to Democratic Party |url=https://www.mvariety.com/news/local/tenorio-returns-to-democratic-party/article_8d53acbd-c324-5de6-a707-fe7d758872c9.html |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=Marianas Variety News & Views |language=en}} Party founder Froilan Tenorio would switch back to the Democratic Party for his 2005 Gubernatorial bid.{{Cite web|date=2004-08-29|title=Lang Tenorio eyeing Dem's endorsement|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/a0728d40-1dfb-11e4-aedf-250bc8c9958e/|access-date=2021-12-17|website=Saipan Tribune|language=en-US}} Their website no longer exists, only accessible through the Wayback Machine, which shows the last moment it was accessible is 2008 and that the last newsletter posted was by former Senator Ramon "Kumoi" Santos Deleon Guerrero on 10 December 2001.