Attorney Joaquin “Jack” Deleon Guerrero Torres, a longtime CNMI lawyer and the brother of former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, has confirmed he will seek the Commonwealth’s elected attorney general seat in the 2026 general election — one of the few nonpartisan, at‑large positions on the CNMI ballot.
Torres, who has practiced law in the CNMI for decades, said he intends to run for the office that voters transformed into an independent elected post through a 2014 constitutional amendment. Before the change, the attorney general was appointed by the governor. The amendment created a nonpartisan, at‑large election for the office, with the first vote held later that year. The attorney general serves a four‑year term.
Current Attorney General Edward Manibusan has held the office since Jan. 12, 2015. He won the inaugural election in 2014 and has been re-elected twice, most recently in 2022. His current term ends in January 2027. Manibusan ran unopposed in the last election.
Torres’ entry marks the first official opposition to Manibusan, setting up what could become the most competitive attorney general race since the position shifted from an appointed to an elected office.
The 2026 general election is expected to draw heightened interest as the CNMI approaches 12 years under its elected attorney general system — a structural shift that reshaped the balance of executive authority and accountability in the Commonwealth.
