SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — A runoff election for governor of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has been scheduled for Nov. 23.

The Commonwealth Election Commission announced the date Monday when it certified none of the four candidates received the required 50 percent plus 1 of the vote to win Saturday’s general election.
Republican Rep. Heinz Hofschneider garnered 4,900 votes, just eight more than incumbent Gov. Benigno R. Fitial of the Covenant Party. Two independent candidates received a combined 3,718 votes.
In their efforts to win the runoff election, the camps of Hofschneider and Fitial are exploring the possibility of realigning with the defeated independent gubernatorial candidates.
The commonwealth is located about 3,800 miles southwest of Hawaii.