Ricardo Castro Cruz Jr.​

Hafa Adai, Tirow Wóómi, and Greetings. I am Ricardo Castro Cruz Jr., a proud son of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, born and raised in Precinct 1 Dandan, Saipan. This 2026 election season, I am committed to gaining the trust and support of the residents of Precinct 1 to humbly serve as your representative in the House.

Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the hard work and sacrifices my parents made to provide for our family. Despite my young age, I chose to take on an after-school and weekend job to contribute to our household. Balancing school and work was challenging at first, but it taught me discipline, and I eventually developed a respectable work ethic.

After graduating from Marianas High School in 2002, I began my professional journey at First Hawaiian Bank as a teller and customer service representative. In 2008, I relocated to the US mainland in search of greater opportunities to learn and grow. I would spend the next five years with Chase Bank developing my leadership skills as the branch’s lead teller. 

In 2013, I returned home to Saipan to begin my next chapter in Customer Service, this time in the hospitality industry as a front office shuttle operator at Kanoa Resort Saipan. It didn’t take long for me to realize I enjoyed working in a hotel and wanted more. I was fortunate to be mentored by great industry leaders who saw my potential and supported my professional growth. I sought formal education in my new field and enrolled in the Northern Marianas Technical Institute’s Hospitality and Restaurant Operations program, which provided a comprehensive understanding of all hotel and restaurant operations. In 2018, I continued investing in myself and joined the Pacific Century Fellows. This program allowed me to learn from leaders with diverse backgrounds, apply their insights to my current role, and engage with colleagues to research ways to improve the CNMI. Through hard work, learning moments, and determination, I became a Front Office Manager, a position that a former shuttle operator once thought was unreachable.

Despite opportunities to work and live abroad, my profound love for home, the people of the CNMI, and my culture anchored my decision to stay. As I conclude my chapter in hospitality and seek a new path, I am confident that the drive and success I developed in the corporate environment can now be harnessed to benefit the residents of Precinct 1. My commitment is clear: to unite our people, get to the root causes of the issues facing our community, and lead by example, inspiring the next generation to step up and lead alongside me.