SAIPAN – Azarvand Tax Law on Friday formally endorsed Dr. Lawrence Camacho for governor and former Senate President Edith DeLeon Guerrero for lieutenant governor in the CNMI’s upcoming 2026 gubernatorial election.
Managing Partner Tina Azarvand said the endorsement was rooted in a personal history of working with DeLeon Guerrero on pro bono community initiatives.
When Azarvand first approached DeLeon Guerrero with the idea for a free tax clinic in partnership with her alma mater, she said, the proposal was unlike anything that had been done before in the CNMI, and in most government circles that kind of initiative takes years. With DeLeon Guerrero, Azarvand said, it took less than three months from first conversation to opening day.
“Edith never toots her own horn, and that is precisely what sets her apart,” Azarvand said. “She heard me out when I had an idea that had never been done before, and three months later, it was real. She did not hold a press conference about it. She just helped make it happen and moved on. That is who she is.”
DeLeon Guerrero also helped build and launch the firm’s first scholarship program, which provided scholarships to middle school, high school, and college students across the CNMI. Azarvand said DeLeon Guerrero helped develop the program structure and reviewed applications alongside the firm without seeking recognition.
“She never once asked for credit for any of it. Most people in her position would have,” Azarvand said. “But that is not Edith. She does not show up to take credit. She shows up to get things done. The CNMI has had her working behind the scenes for years, and I think it is time people knew that.”
On Camacho, Azarvand cited his record of military and education service. A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel with over two decades of active duty service, Camacho returned to the CNMI not for a title but out of a sense of calling, the firm said. As Commissioner of Education, the firm noted, he advocated for CNMI students, elevated the islands’ profile with national education leaders in Washington, D.C., and oversaw measurable gains, with nearly 90 percent of schools meeting or exceeding district goals and proficiency scores rising above benchmark in both reading and mathematics.
Camacho announced his intent to resign as Education Commissioner earlier this month, citing his gubernatorial candidacy.
Azarvand expressed confidence on behalf of the firm that the Camacho-DeLeon Guerrero ticket brings the kind of grounded, action-oriented leadership the CNMI needs as it navigates ongoing economic challenges.
Azarvand Tax Law places a special emphasis on pro bono services and giving back to the communities it serves, the firm said. In 2022, Azarvand was named Young Volunteer of the Year by the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service for her pro bono work prior to her relocation to the CNMI.
The 2026 CNMI gubernatorial race also includes the Attao-Villagomez ticket and the Torres-Jones ticket. The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.