The Northern Marianas House Representatives is now controlled by the Democratic Party after it won the majority of the lower chamber of the 22nd Legislature on Tuesday.
It's been decades since the Democratic Party controlled the House and it took two days and three elections for Representative Edmund Villagomez to win the Speakership.
Republican Representative Ralph Yumul was the deciding vote in installing Mr Villagomez as the new speaker and tilting the balance of power from the Republicans to the Democrats.
CNMI Legislature 16:10 Photo: Supplied
Before Yumul flipped his vote, the House was in a 10-10 split in the choice of speaker between Villagomez and returning lawmaker Angel Demapan.
After Villagomez's rise to the speaker's chair, he parceled out the chairmanships of the various House committees to his party colleagues with Representative Edwin Propst getting the House Committee on Gaming.
Propst is a known critic of Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC, Saipan's exclusive casino licensee.
Propst, who was inaugurated with 19 other representatives Monday, resigned his seat in the House late last year after the police department said it was investigating sexual misconduct allegations against him during his time as a teacher at Marianas High School and Northern Marianas College.
Despite not campaigning, Propst still got the most votes in his precinct, and said he decided to return to the House after his family, friends, and the constituents showed enormous support for him to continue his public service.
The Office of the Attorney General closed the case even though reports acquired from the Department of Public Safety seem to confirm rape allegation concerns.
The Office said he won't be prosecuted for allegations of rape when he was still a teacher because the victims were either over 18 or the complaints already exceeded the statute of limitations.
CNMI minority leader Rep. Edwin K. Propst Photo: Mark Rabago
