Saipan — Attorney General Edward E. Manibusan said Monday he will not seek reelection, ending twelve years as the Commonwealth’s first elected Attorney General.
“After much reflection and prayer, I have decided that I will not seek reelection as Attorney General of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” Manibusan said in a statement.
Manibusan was the first person elected to the office under the Constitution. He wrote that he was given the opportunity not simply to lead an office but to help build an institution that would stand independent of politics and uphold the rule of law.
He said the office was built to make decisions based solely on the facts, the evidence and the law, without fear, without favor and without regard to politics or personalities, and that the principle has guided every major decision and remains the office’s greatest strength.
Manibusan listed strengthened criminal prosecutions, expanded consumer protection, greater support for crime victims, protection of children and vulnerable families, and stronger partnerships with local, federal and regional law enforcement among the work of the past twelve years. He said the office joined multistate lawsuits that brought opioid funds to the Commonwealth to help people with substance use disorder, and settled with major tobacco companies to resolve past allocation disputes.
He said the office navigated difficult legal questions, public controversies, devastating typhoons, a global pandemic, a break in the telecommunications system and periods of economic uncertainty.
“Of all that we accomplished, I am proudest of the institution I leave behind,” Manibusan said. “Cases come and go. Administrations change. But institutions endure.”
Manibusan thanked the attorneys, prosecutors, investigators, victim advocates, child support professionals and administrative staff who served during his administration, and thanked his family for the sacrifices of public service.
He also thanked residents who circulated, signed and supported a petition over the past several days urging him to seek reelection.
Manibusan said his commitment to the Commonwealth is unchanged and that public office is one way to serve but not the only one. He said he will close this chapter of his career in the next few months.
“It has truly been an honor of a lifetime to serve the People of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” he said.
