Juan Babauta

{{Short description|Northern Mariana Islander politician|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Juan Babauta | image = FEMA - 7324 - Photograph by Andrea Booher taken on 12-20-2002 in Northern Mariana Islands (cropped).jpg | alt = Babauta in 2002 | order = 6th Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | lieutenant = Diego Benavente | term_start = January 14, 2002 | term_end = January 9, 2006 | predecessor = Pedro Tenorio | successor = Benigno Fitial | office1 = 3rd Resident Representative of the Northern Mariana Islands | term_start1 = January 8, 1990 | term_end1 = January 14, 2002 | predecessor1 = Froilan Tenorio | successor1 = Pedro Agulto Tenorio | birth_name = Juan Nekai Babauta | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|9|7}} | birth_place = Tanapag, Mariana Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican (before 2014) Independent (2014–present) | spouse = {{marriage|Diana Chong||2002|end=div}}<ref>{{cite web |last=De La Torre |first=Ferdie |date=November 11, 2014 |title=Babauta told to pay ex-wife $800 monthly |url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/babauta-told-pay-ex-wife-800-monthly/ |newspaper=Saipan Tribune |accessdate=April 14, 2018}}</ref> {{marriage|Charlene Mendiola Tudela|2008}} | education = Eastern New Mexico University (BA, MA) University of Cincinnati (MS) }} '''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.<ref name=nga>{{cite news |title=Northern Mariana Islands Governor Juan N. Babauta |url=http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=ee37ae3effb81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD |work=National Governors Association |accessdate=October 30, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109192812/http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=ee37ae3effb81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD |archive-date=January 9, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

==Biography==

===Early life and education=== Juan Babauta was born in Tanapag, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on September 7, 1953.<ref name=nga/> He is the oldest of his family's nine children.<ref name=nga/> Babauta completed elementary school on Saipan.<ref name=nga/> His parents then sent him to the mainland United States to continue his education. Babuata moved to Enosburg Falls, Vermont, where he attended Enosburg Falls High School while living on a dairy farm with a host family for three years.<ref name=nga/> Babauta, who was student body president during his senior year and a member of the National Honors Society, graduated from Enosburg in 1972.

Babauta attended a summer session at Johnson State College of Vermont in 1976.<ref name=nga/> He received a Bachelor of Science degree in American history and political science from Eastern New Mexico University in 1976 and a Master of Arts in political science from ENMU that same year.<ref name=nga/> In 1979, Babauta completed a Master of Science degree in health planning and administration from the University of Cincinnati.<ref name=nga/>

===Career=== Babauta's interest in health planning began when he worked as a health planner for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from April to August 1977, based on Saipan.<ref name=nga/> He became the executive director for the Commonwealth Health Planning and Development Agency in May 1979 after completing his master's degree at the University of Cincinnati.<ref name=nga/> He remained executive director until January 1986.<ref name=nga/>

Babauta was elected to the Northern Mariana Islands Senate in November 1985 representing the 3rd Senatorial District, which encompassed Saipan and the Northern Islands Municipality. He took office in January 1986 and served for one, four-year term in the Fifth and Sixth Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislatures.<ref name=nga/> He served as the Senate floor leader from January 1986 to January 1988 and the chairman of the Fiscal Affairs committee from January 1986 until August 1987. Babauta also chaired the Committee on Health, Education and Welfare from January 1986 and January 1990 and the Committee on Rules and Procedure from January 1988 until he left office in January 1990. Babauta introduced The Education Act of 1988 as a Senator.

===Resident Representative=== In November 1989, Babauta was elected as the third Resident Representative of the Northern Mariana Islands in Washington D.C. He took office in January 1990, succeeding Froilan Tenorio. He served as Resident Representative for three 4-year terms<ref name=nga/> from January 1990 until leaving office in January 2002 to become governor.

===Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands=== In November 2001, Babauta was elected Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands in the four-way gubernatorial election as a Republican. Babauta and his running mate, Diego Benavente, won the election with 5,512 votes, the largest number of votes ever received by a gubernatorial candidate in the Northern Mariana Islands at the time.<ref name=islandsbusiness>{{cite news |first=Criselda B. |last=Hernandez |title=Politics: 4-Way Gubernatorial Election Heats Up |url=http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=5405/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl |work=Islands Business |year=2005 |accessdate=October 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223221055/http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=5405/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl |archive-date=February 23, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He defeated Covenant Party candidate Benigno Fitial, Democrat Jesus Borja and former Governor and then Reform Party candidate Froilan Tenorio, respectively.<ref name=islandsbusiness/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2001/11/06/gop-landslide-cnmi-victory-babauta-governor|title=GOP IN LANDSLIDE CNMI VICTORY: BABAUTA GOVERNOR | Pacific Islands Report|access-date=November 19, 2018|archive-date=January 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130045357/http://www.pireport.org/articles/2001/11/06/gop-landslide-cnmi-victory-babauta-governor|url-status=dead}}</ref> Babauta and Benavente were sworn into office on January 14, 2002.

Babauta was defeated for re-election in the 2005 gubernatorial election. The Republican party refused to hold a primary against former Speaker (2002-2004) Heinz Hofschneider. Babauta and Benavente eventually came in third place in the gubernatorial election, behind Covenant Party candidate Benigno Fitial and Hofschneider, running as an independent, in an election that marked the worst defeat for the Republican Party in its history. <ref name=ib>{{cite news |title=Absentee Ballots Decide Who Is Governor, Winner has only a 99-vote lead |url=http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=5486/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl |work=Islands Business |date=November 21, 2005 |accessdate=October 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308071758/http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=5486/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl |archive-date=March 8, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Benigno Fitial was elected Governor over independent Heinz Hofschneider by just 99 votes after fifteen days tallying absentee ballots, the closest gubernatorial election in Northern Mariana Islands history at the time.<ref name=ib/> Fitial won with 3809 votes (28.07%) while independent Hofschneider came in a close second with 3,710 votes (27.33%).<ref name=ib/> Babauta placed a disappointing third place with 3,610 votes, or 26.66%.<ref name=ib/> Froilan Tenorio came in fourth with 2442 votes (17.99%).<ref name=ib/> In a concession speech at his home, Babauta told supporters, "Nobody's to blame but me."<ref name=ib/> Babauta left office on January 9, 2006.<ref name=nga/>

Four years later, Babauta unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in the 2009 gubernatorial election with running mate, Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero, the principal at Mount Carmel School.<ref name=mv>{{cite news|first=Emmanuel T.|last=Erediano|title=Deleon Guerrero will be Babauta's running mate|url=http://www.mvariety.com/2009012914236/local-news/deleon-guerrero-will-be-babautas-running-mate.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110714143210/http://www.mvariety.com/2009012914236/local-news/deleon-guerrero-will-be-babautas-running-mate.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2011|work=Marianas Variety News & Views|date=January 30, 2009|accessdate=October 30, 2010}}</ref> Babauta was defeated in the Republican primary election on June 27, 2009, by Heinz Hofschneider.<ref name=mv2>{{cite news|first=Emmanuel T.|last=Erediano|title=Hofschneider is GOP nominee; Babauta reiterates unity pledge.|url=http://www.mvariety.com/2009062718049/local-news/hofschneider-is-gop-nominee-babauta-reiterates-unity-pledge.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110714143226/http://www.mvariety.com/2009062718049/local-news/hofschneider-is-gop-nominee-babauta-reiterates-unity-pledge.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2011|work=Marianas Variety News & Views|date=June 28, 2010|accessdate=October 30, 2010}}</ref> Hofschneider received 3,382 votes in the primary election, while Babauta garnered 2,986 votes.<ref name=mv2/> Babauta reiterated a unity pledge with Hofschneider after the primary<ref name=mv2/> and endorsed Hofschneider in his bid for the governorship.

===Subsequent career=== Babauta also worked as the publisher of ''Homeland Magazine'' from 2007 until 2009.

In April 2010, Babauta declared his candidacy for Northern Mariana Islands' Delegate to the United States House of Representatives as a Republican against incumbent Rep. Gregorio Kilili Sablan.<ref name=saipantribune>{{cite news|first=Moneth|last=Deposa|title=It's official: Babauta is GOP's bet for delegate|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=99203|work=Saipan Tribune|date=April 29, 2010|accessdate=April 30, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323151823/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=99203|archive-date=March 23, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Babauta faced Sablan, as well as Democrat Jesus Borja and Covenant candidate Joseph Camacho in the 2010 United States House of Representatives election in the Northern Mariana Islands on November 2, 2010. Sablan won re-election to a second term, while Babauta placed third in the race.

In 2014, Babauta decided to run for governor against incumbent Republican Eloy Inos as an independent. He cited the refusal of the Republican party to hold a primary as his reasoning, along with the introduction of casino gambling. His running mate was former Senator Juan Sablan Torres.<ref>{{cite news|last=Eugenio |first=Haidee |date=April 8, 2014 |title=Independent bid for Babauta, Torres |url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=154834 |newspaper=Saipan Tribune |accessdate=April 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408214800/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=154834 |archive-date=April 8, 2014 }}</ref>

In 2018, Babauta again decided to run for governor as an independent, against Republican incumbent Ralph Torres. This time his running mate was former Education Commissioner Rita Aldan Sablan.<ref>{{cite news |last=Villahermosa |first=Cherrie |date=April 13, 2018 |title=Babauta teams up with Sablan |url=http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/103637-babauta-teams-up-with-sablan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103150735/https://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/103637-babauta-teams-up-with-sablan/ |archive-date=November 3, 2018 |access-date=April 13, 2018 |work=Marianas Variety}}</ref> He lost against Torres by a 62.2% to 37.8% margin.

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Froilan Tenorio}} {{s-ttl|title=Resident Representative of the Northern Mariana Islands|years=1990–2002}} {{s-aft|after=Pedro Tenorio}} |- {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Pedro Tenorio}} {{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands|years=2001, 2005}} {{s-aft|after=Heinz Hofschneider}} |- {{s-bef|before=Joe Inos Withdrew}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Democratic nominee for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands}} Endorsed|years=2018}} {{s-aft|after=Tina Sablan}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Pedro Tenorio}} {{s-ttl|title=Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands|years=2002–2006}} {{s-aft|after=Benigno Fitial}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Babauta, Juan N.}} Category:1953 births Category:21st-century Northern Mariana Islands politicians Category:Eastern New Mexico University alumni Category:Governors of the Northern Mariana Islands Category:Living people Category:United States representatives of Asian descent Category:People from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands Category:Republican Party (Northern Mariana Islands) politicians Category:Republican Party governors of the Northern Mariana Islands Category:Republican Party United States representatives from the Northern Mariana Islands Category:Resident Representatives of the Northern Mariana Islands Category:University of Cincinnati alumni