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.