[3] On December 10, 1977, Camacho defeated Saipan businessman and Republican candidate Jose C. Tenorio by a narrow margin to become the first elected Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands.

On June 26, 1981, both Camacho and Senator Herman Rogolifoi Guerrero[5] claimed the Democratic nomination amidst a contested convention.

[7] In 1980, the CNMI legislature passed a budget that would have appropriated over $1.5 million in federal money for capital improvements on the island of Rota.

[citation needed] Leon Taisacan, a Rota resident, then sued Camacho, claiming that his veto violated the terms of the Covenant between the United States and the CNMI.

[citation needed] A district court granted summary judgement in favor of Camacho, and then the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that Taisacan did not have standing to sue, as he was not specifically injured by the veto.