SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands— Incumbent Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has narrowly won a runoff election to serve another term as governor of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The Covenant Party’s Fitial defeated Republican Rep. Heinz Hofschneider by 501 votes in Monday’s election.
It was a turnaround from the initial Nov. 7 election, when Hofschneider edged Fitial by just eight votes out of more than 13,500 cast. It was the closest election in the commonwealth’s history.
The runoff was needed because the winner needed to garner most of the votes cast.
This time, Fitial won by 501 votes and a 52 percent majority.
Hofschneider isn’t conceding the race until more than 1,000 absentee ballots are counted Dec. 7.
The commonwealth is located about 3,800 miles southwest of Hawaii.