Edward Diego "Eddie" Reyes (January 24, 1930 – April 14, 2018) was a Guamanian politician and retired

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

. Reyes served as the 4th Lieutenant Governor of Guam from January 3, 1983, to January 5, 1987, under

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Ricardo Bordallo, having been elected in 1982 as Bordallo's

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a p ...

Early life

He was born on January 24, 1930, to his parents Juan Reyes and Ana Guevara.

Political career

1978 Borallo-Reyes Campaign

In 1978, incumbent

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

Governor Ricardo Bordallo, a Democrat, lost re-election to Republican Paul McDonald Calvo. Four years later, Bordallo, who planned a political comeback, once again announced his candidacy for Governor. Bordallo chose U.S. Air Force Colonel Edward Diego Reyes, a political unknown with no previous experience in elected office as his running mate. Reyes, a

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

veteran with several awards and honors, retired from the U.S. Air Force following a 28-year career in order to enter the race with Bordallo.

1982 Borallo-Reyes Campaign

Bordallo and Reyes were challenged in the 1982 Democratic gubernatorial primary by Bordallo's former Lt. Governor Rudy Sablan and his running mate, Joe Leon Guerrero. However, Bordallo-Reyes easily defeated Sablan in the primary election by 35 percent. Bordallo and Reyes' campaign utilized the "People First" slogan in the general election campaign against Governor Paul McDonald Calvo. The Bordallo-Reyes defeated incumbent Governor Calvo and his running mate, Peter F. Perez Jr., in the 1982 general election. Bordallo won the race 1,402 votes (approximately 5%) out 28,996 votes cast. Bordallo and Reyes were sworn in as Governor and Lt. Governor on January 3, 1983.

1986 Borallo-Reyes Campaign

Bordallo and Reyes sought re-election to a second term in 1986. However, Governor Bordallo was indicted in September 1986 on eleven counts of corruption. Lt. Governor Reyes, who continued to support Bordallo as his running mate, was not implicated in the scandal and emerged from it with his reputation unscathed. However, the chances that Bordallo-Reyes ticket would be re-elected were severely diminished by Bordallo's indictment. Bordallo-Reyes lost re-election to Republican Joseph Franklin Ada and his running mate,

Frank Blas Frank Flores Blas Sr. (March 20, 1941 – August 1, 2016) was a Guamanian politician, businessman and member of the Republican Party of Guam. Blas served as the 5th Lieutenant Governor of Guam from January 5, 1987 until January 2, 1995 for two co ...

, in the general election on November 4, 1986. Ada defeated Governor Bordallo by 2,581 votes (7.6%).

Guam Legislature

Reyes served in the 20th and the 22nd Guam Legislatures.

1994 Reyes-Nelson Campaign

In 1994, Reyes unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Guam, choosing Gloria Nelson as his running mate for Lt. Governor.

Personal life and death

Reyes was married to Guadalupe "Lupe" Cruz and has four children (Johnny, Paul, Barbara and Lauren). Reyes died on April 14, 2018, in a hospital in

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

.Former Lt. Gov. Edward "Eddie' Diego dies
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References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Reyes, Edward Diego 1930 births 2018 deaths 20th-century American politicians Chamorro people Guamanian Democrats Guamanian military personnel Lieutenant Governors of Guam Members of the Legislature of Guam People from Hagåtña, Guam United States Air Force colonels United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War