Following a contested primaries on August 25, 2018, theDemocratic Party nominatedLou Leon Guerrero, a former Bank of Guam CEO, territorial senator, and1998 lieutenant gubernatorial candidate. She won the nomination over territorial senatorFrank B. Aguon, who chose to run a write-in campaign in the general election. The Republican Party nominated Lieutenant GovernorRay Tenorio, who served under Calvo from 2011 to 2019. The campaign centered on issues includingabortion rights in Guam, ethical matters, and the role of thetourism sector.[2][3] Leon Guerrero won a 50.7% majority in the general election against Tenorio, who received 26.4%, and Aguon, whose write-in bid received 22.8%. She became the first female governor in Guamanian history and the first Democrat to win the governorship of Guam since1998.
Lt. Governor Tenorio declared his bid for governor and chose former senator Vicente Anthony "Tony" Ada as his running mate in the upcoming gubernatorial election.[4] The lieutenant governor and former senator officially proclaimed their gubernatorial bid in January, days after election posters of the two were spotted at theRepublican Party of Guam headquarters inMaite.
Tenorio, along with Ada, were former senators of theGuam Legislature with Tenorio serving in the 27th-30th legislature and Ada in the 29th-33rd legislature. Ada won his seat in 29th legislature in a special election after the resignation of former Democratic senator Matt Rector.
Sen.Frank B. Aguon, 24th-33rd, currently serving in the 34th Guam Legislature
He announced his bid to be the governor of Guam in February, just within weeks of winning his ninth legislative term, and chose the former US attorney for GuamAlicia Limtiaco as his running mate in the primary and general election.[5]
Aguon ran for lieutenant governor in 2006 under the Underwood-Aguon ticket and lost. He ran again for lt. governor in 2010 with former GovernorCarl T.C. Gutierrez, which he also lost.
Former senatorLou Leon Guerrero, 23rd-24th, 26th-28th Guam Legislature
She announced her bid to run for governor in February while attending a wedding atPlaza de España inHagatña. In a video, she declared her candidacy and choseJoshua "Josh" Tenorio, the new vice president of Guam Autospot, to be her running mate in the 2018 primary and general election.[6]
Leon Guerrero currently serves as the chair of the board of directors at the Bank of Guam.[7] Josh Tenorio served as the deputy chief of staff under the administration of former governorCarl T.C. Gutierrez, who was running again for governor of Guam.
Governor Gutierrez declared his bid for governor in his home in Agaña Heights.[8] He selected former Guam Police Department chief Fred Bordallo as his running mate.[9] Bordallo ran for a seat in theGuam Legislature in 2016 but lost.
He ran again as governor in 2006 under the Gutierrez/Cruz ticket but lost in the primaries against former DelegateRobert A. Underwood and SenatorFrank B. Aguon.
He ran again for governor of Guam in 2010, withFrank B. Aguon as his running mate. They were narrowly defeated by theRepublican Calvo-Tenorio ticket by 487 votes.
In 2014, former governor Gutierrez and his running mate Gary Gumataotao ran against the re-election bid ofRepublican GovernorEddie Baza Calvo and Lieutenant GovernorRay Tenorio. They later lost the election and gave their support to the re-elected leaders.
Sen. Dennis G. Rodriguez Jr., 31st-33rd, currently serving in the 34th Guam Legislature
In January, Senator Rodriguez officially announced his bid for the governor of Guam, selecting former educator and military veteran David Cruz Jr. as his running mate.[10][11]
David Cruz Jr. faced challenges in his bid for lt. governor due to an employment contract with the Guam Department of Education. Laws on Guam prohibit government employees from running for public office. Cruz was fired by the Department of Education by late June 2018, after serving for years as anAir Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor at theJohn F. Kennedy High School.
During the campaign, Republican nominee Ray Tenorio highlighted Leon Guerrero's tenure at the helm of the Bank of Guam, asking her if she would divest government money out of the bank if elected. Leon Guerrero's running mate,Josh Tenorio, accused the Republican nominee of having aconflict of interest issues regarding a pay increase bill.[2]
Both candidates debated issues centered around Guam's status as atourism economy, with Tenorio pledging to strengthen the territory's tourism sector, while Leon Guerrero emphasized public safety measures to protect both residents and tourists.[3]
During the election, Leon Guerrero faced criticism from opponents for her speech in which she noted she was "born and raised here".[13] In a campaign stump speech, Leon Guerrero, ofChamorro background, stated "This is my island. I am from here, Ray. I was born and raised here, Ray ... and I am more qualified to be the governor of Guam." Republican nomineeRay Tenorio, who was born to awhite family inFlorida, criticized her remarks, asking "Does Lou really care about all Guamanians" in a campaign ad.[14][2]
Jerry Crisostomo, the chair of theRepublican Party of Guam accused Leon Guerrero's campaign of utilizing "racial undertones" in her campaign against Tenorio. Write-in Democratic candidateFrank Aguon, who lost to Leon Guerrero in the August primary, also criticized her remarks.[14] TheDemocratic Party of Guam rejected these criticisms, stating in a press release that "Ray Tenorio and his team are desperate and will grab at untruths and lies for their campaign".[2]
Some Guamian officials stood in Leon Guerrero's defense, including former Democratic senatorHope A. Cristobal. Cristobal argued that the criticism of Leon Guerrero's remarks fail to appreciate "the political nuances of indigenous CHamorus in a colonized homeland".Robert A. Underwood, former president of theUniversity of Guam and Guam's formerdelegate to theU.S. House of Representatives, stated he considers it "a stretch for the (Tenorio) team to say [Leon Guerrero] is racist or xenophobic".[14]
The general elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Democratic candidateLou Leon Guerrero garnered 18,081 votes against Ray Tenorio's 9,419 votes. Guam law requires gubernatorial candidates to attain more than 50% of the total votes to be elected governor. Leon Guerrero passed the necessary threshold by a razor-thin margin, winning the election with 50.7% of the vote against Tenorio's 26.41% and Aguon's 22.81%.
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