Edmund Villagomez

Edmund Joseph Sablan Villagomez is a politician from the Northern Mariana Islands who serves as the Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives. He has served in the Northern Marianas Islands House of Representatives since January 11, 2010.^[1]

Ed Villagomez
Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2021
Preceded by	Blas T. Attao
Personal details
Born	Edmund Joseph Sablan Villagomez
Political party	Covenant (before 2013) Independent (2013–present)

Political career

Villagomez was an assistant to the CNMI Secretary of Commerce and the head of the Foreign Investment Office.^[2] Villagomez was first elected from District 3 in 2009 as a member of the Covenant Party.^[3] He was sworn into office on January 10, 2010.^[4] In his first term, he was named the chairman of the Commerce and Tourism committee.^[5] He was a member of the special investigative committee to review the allegations included in the articles of impeachment against Governor Benigno Fitial.^[6]

Following the dissolution of the Covenant Party in 2013, Villagomez ran as an independent in the 2014 election.^[7][8] After the 2016 general election, the five member minority bloc named Villagomez as the House Minority Leader.^[9] He served as House Minority Leader during the 20th Commonwealth Legislature. For the 21st Commonwealth Legislature, he nominated, and was succeeded by, Ed Propst for the position of House Minority Leader for the 21st Commonwealth Legislature.^[10]

In the 22nd Commonwealth Legislature, a coalition of legislators led by a resurgent Democratic Party backed Villagomez for Speaker. On the fourth ballot, Representative Ralph Naraja Yumul switched his support to Villagomez. He was reelected to serve as Speaker for the 23rd Commonwealth Legislature by a unanimous voice vote.^[11][12] On January 8, 2025, it was announced that Villagomez would again be elected to the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 24th Commonwealth Legislature.^[13]

In July 2025, it was announced that Villagomez would run for Lieutenant Governor on a ticket with his predecessor as speaker Blas T. Attao.^[14]