The Democratic Party of Guam is a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

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 ...

affiliated with the U.S. Democratic Party. Its origins lie in the Popular Party, which was the only political party on Guam until 1956.Guampedia
''Democratic Party of Guam''
Hagatna, 20 Aug 2012.Pedro C. Sanchez. ''Guahan Guam: The History of our Island.'' Hagatna, 1998. In addition to appointed Governor Manuel F.L. Guerrero, the first person of native Chamorro descent to rise to the highest office in the territory, three Guamanian Governors have been affiliated with the party: Ricardo J. Bordallo, Carl T.C. Gutierrez, and Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero. The party has also elected four of its members as Guam Delegates to the U.S. House of Representatives: Antonio B. Won Pat,

Robert A. Underwood Robert Anacletus Underwood (born July 13, 1948) is an American politician and educator who served as the delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003 as a member of the Democratic Party. He subsequently ser ...

, Madeleine Z. Bordallo, and Michael San Nicolas.John Borja
''Sen. Michael San Nicolas announces run for Congress''
Pacific Daily News, Hagatna, 18 November 2018.

Early history

The Popular Party was the first political party formed on Guam and remained the only political party on Guam until the late 1950s, holding virtually all of the seats in the first Guam Legislatures. This dominance continued even when the Territorial Party was formed near the end of the decade and there was finally two-party competition in the electoral process. A leading figure of the Popular Party was Speaker Antonio B. Won Pat who was later elected as Guam's first delegate to the U.S. Congress. In 1961, the Popular Party of Guam had secured affiliation with the national Democratic Party and was rechristened the Democratic Party of Guam. The Democrats gained control of the Legislature in the 1966 elections and retained the majority for the next eight years.

Democratic Governors of Guam

Governor Manuel F. Leon Guerrero (1963-1969)

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy appointed the first Guamanian and Chamorro Governor of Guam,

Manuel F. Leon Guerrero Manuel Flores "Carson" Leon Guerrero (October 29, 1914 – October 9, 1985) was a Guamanian politician who is the sixth Appointed Governor of Guam from March 1963 to July 1969.Rogers, R. "Destiny's Landfall: A History of Guam", page 238-239. Univ ...

. Leon Guerrero's term from 1963 until 1969 was marked by the recovery from Typhoon Karen, including support for Guam under the Guam Rehabilitation Act, the establishment of the

Guam Economic Development Authority 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 ...

, and the establishment of the Guam Tourist Commission, later to become the Guam Visitors Bureau.Robert F. Rogers, Destiny's Landfall: A History of Guam, University of Hawai'i Press. Honolulu, 1995. In the first race for elected governor, Manuel F. Leon Guerrero teamed up with Dr. Antonio C. "Tony" Yamashita, President of the University of Guam. They were challenged by Speaker Joaquin C. Arriola and retired Judge Vicente Bamba and team of Senator Ricardo J. "Ricky" Bordallo and Richard F. "Dick" Taitano, former Director of the Office of Territories. Guerrero/Yamashita were defeated during the primary election by Bordallo/Taitano. After the primary election, Bordallo-Taitano mounted a vigorous but unsuccessful campaign for Governor against Carlos Camacho and Kurt Moylan.

Governor Ricardo J. Bordallo

;Bordallo-Sablan (1975-1979) After a contentious primary challenged by three other Democratic gubernatorial teams, Ricardo J. Bordallo and Rudolph Guerrero "Rudy" Sablan defeated the incumbent Republican Camacho-Moylan team. Sworn in on January 6, 1975, Ricardo J. Bordallo was the first elected Democratic Governor of Guam. Governor Bordallo had the largest inauguration Guam had ever seen with about 15,000 people in the Plaza de Espana.Pedro C. Sanchez. Guahan Guam: The History of our Island. Hagatna, 1998. In May 1976, Supertyphoon Pamela devastated Guam, leaving extensive damage. Government officials preliminarily estimated that 80% of the buildings were damaged to some degree, of which half were destroyed. President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

declared Guam a major disaster area. Governor Bordallo seized upon the devastation of Typhoon Pamela as an opportunity to reconstruct Guam and pursue what was called a Marshall Program for Guam. Governor Bordallo secured about $367 million in federal funds to Guam. ;Bordallo-Reyes (1983-1987) During his second term, retired

Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...

Edward Diego "Eddie" Reyes, served as Lieutenant Governor. Bordallo chaired the Commission for Self-Determination and spearheaded the drafting of the Guam Commonwealth Act developed by June 4, 1986. He addressed Guam's education problems with his 1983 "Blueprint for Excellence" and worked on the accreditation status of the

University of Guam University of Guam ( ch, Unibetsedåt Guåhan) (U.O.G.) is a public land-grant university in Mangilao, Guam. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and offers thirty-four degree programs at the undergraduate level a ...

Carl T.C. Gutierrez (1995-2003)

First term

In 1994,

Carl Gutierrez Carl Tommy Cruz Gutierrez (born October 15, 1941) is an American (U.S. citizen) politician who was the 6th Governor of Guam, serving two four-year terms with Lieutenant Governor Madeleine Z. Bordallo from January 2, 1995 to January 6, 2003. Gutie ...

teamed up with Senator Madeleine Bordallo, the widow of former Governor Ricardo Jerome Bordallo, to run for the island's highest office once more on a platform of "Helping the People of Guam." In the primary, they were challenged by the Democratic team of Edward D. Reyes and Gloria B. Nelson. The Gutierrez-Bordallo team received 9,555 votes while the Reyes-Nelson team received only 6,450 votes.Guam Election Commission

''Election Comparative Analysis Report 1994''. Hagatna, 1995. In the 1994 General Election, the Democratic team of Gutierrez-Bordallo faced the Republican team of Tommy Tanaka, Thomas V.C. Tanaka and Doris Flores Brooks. During the General Election, Tanaka-Brooks outspent the Gutierrez-Bordallo team by over $100,000, but Carl Gutierrez and Madeleine Bordallo won the election in a

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environmen ...

with 23,405 votes, while Tanaka-Brooks had 19,281. Upon assuming office on January 2, 1995, Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez focused his work in the areas of infrastructure so that all the marginalized people will be brought into the 20th century before it went out and also pushing for economic development by aggressively completing 85% of his Vision 2001 plan by the end of 1999. Despite a super majority Republican Legislature that opposed virtually every executive initiative, the Gutierrez-Bordallo administration was successful in guiding the island through the rough waters of economic downturns throughout the region. The tourism economy was also severely affected by the crash of Korean Airlines Flight 801 on August 6, 1997. During the rescue efforts, Gutierrez was one of the first responders and the first to reach the burning plane along with Dep. Fire Chief Chuck Sanchez and his security police officer Cecil Sulla. Gutierrez was credited with saving several lives, including 11-year-old Rika Matsuda and Barry Small, an injured helicopter mechanic from

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

, who called Governor Gutierrez a "Hero." Gutierrez received the Eagle Award, the highest award given to a civilian by the

U.S. National Guard The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.Typhoon Paka struck Guam. The strong winds from Paka left around 1,500 buildings destroyed on the island, of which 1,160 were single-family homes. A further 10,000 buildings sustained damage to some degree, with 60% of the homes on the island reporting major damage. In all, about 5,000 people were left homeless due to the typhoon. Additionally, an estimated 30–40% of the public buildings received major damage. Buildings on the island made of reinforced concerted fared well, as opposed to light metal-frame structures, which more often were completely destroyed. Large tourist hotels near Hagåtña, on which Guam is dependent, received generally minor damage, such as broken windows and damaged power generators. A complete island-wide power outage followed the typhoon; damage to the main electrical transmission and distribution system was estimated at . Following the passage of the typhoon, 25% of the homes on Guam were left without water. Telephone service remained working after the storm, due to most lines being underground. Strong waves washed away a few coastal roads in the northern portion of the island, leaving them temporarily closed. The waves surpassed the seawall at

Apra Harbor Apra Harbor, also called Port Apra, is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific Ocean. The harbor is bounded by Cabras Island and the Glass Breakwa ...

, damaging the road and infrastructure of the seaport; many boats were washed ashore after breaking from their moorings. Strong winds damaged a radar system and lights along the runway of the

Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport , also known as Guam International Airport, is an airport located in Tamuning and Barrigada, east of the capital city of Hagåtña (formerly Agana) in the United States territory of Guam. The airport is ...

, though most airport facilities received light damage. The

Andersen Air Force Base Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacific ...

also sustained heavy damage, with hundreds of downed trees and many facilities left damaged. Across Guam, damage was estimated at . About 100 people were injured, but the typhoon caused no deaths on the island.

Second term

In 1998, Governor Carl Gutierrez ran for reelection with Lieutenant Governor Madeleine Z. Bordallo. There were two Democratic teams that challenged the Gutierrez-Bordallo team in the primary. Senator Thomas C. Ada and Senator

Lou Leon Guerrero Lourdes Aflague "Lou" Leon Guerrero (born November 8, 1950) is an American politician who has served as the 9th governor of Guam since 2019. She was president and CEO of the Bank of Guam from 2007 to 2017, having previously served as a senator of ...

ran as a team, as did Senator Angel L.G. Santos and Jose T. "Pedo" Terlaje. The Gutierrez-Bordallo carried the 1998 Democratic primary with 16,838 votes, compared with only 9,788 for Ada-Leon Guerrero and 6,295 for Santos-Terlaje.Guam Election Commissio

''Election Comparative Analysis Report''. Hagatna, 2001. In the 1998 General Election, Gutierrez-Bordallo faced the Republican team of Former Governor Joseph Ada, Joseph Franklin Ada and Senator Felix Perez Camacho. The election resulted in a second term for Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez and Lieutenant Governor Madeleine Z. Bordallo, who won with 24,250 votes, compared with 21,200 votes for Ada-Camacho. In the 1998 Gubernatorial election against former governor Joe Ada, an election challenge by Ada/Camacho went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision by the Supreme court was 9-0 in favor of Gutierrez/Bordallo, thus ending the Republican challenge. Just following the reelection of Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez and Madeleine Z. Bordallo, President William Jefferson Clinton visited Guam on November 23, 1998. The visit was the first since 1986 when a sitting U.S. president had visited Guam. Thousands of Guamanians gathered on the field in front of the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex to see President Clinton. The crowd was treated to a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by Joseph "Uncle Tote" Cunningham and several speakers addressed the assembled crowd. President Clinton was introduced by youth speaker Michael F.Q. San Nicolas.Josh Tyquiengco

''VOTE 2012 - The Challengers - Michael F.Q. San Nicolas''. Hagatna, 13 July 2012. Madeleine Bordallo and Carl T

Gutierrez's credibility and integrity have been under constant attack by those who oppose him and his style of leadership. Beginning when he was still in office, efforts are continuing to try to find him guilty of purported crimes. He has never been found guilty of any crime, winning all cases that went to trial. Other cases were thrown out of court because they had no merit. His second term in office was marked by political instability caused by the 1998 election challenges, a supermajority Republican (12-3) Guam Legislature, an unsuccessful Recall Movement in 2000 after the Supreme court decision came out giving Gutierrez/Bordallo the win, the "rolling" power outages left behind by the Ada/Blas administration, the destruction of the island's infrastructure by Supertyphoons Chata'an, Paka, and Pongsona.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero (2019–present)

In February 2017, former senator Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero officially announced her bid to be the next

Governor of Guam The governor of Guam ( ch, I Maga'låhen / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territor ...

. The Bank of Guam President selected Joshua Tenorio, Vice President of Guam Auto Spot, to be her running mate in the upcoming Democratic primaries. The Leon Guerrero/Tenorio ticket faced-off with 3 other Democratic tickets: the Aguon/ Limtiaco ticket, the Gutierrez/Bordallo ticket, and the Rodriguez/Cruz ticket. They emerged victorious with 32% of the primary vote. Leon Guerrero was elected as Guam's first female governor after defeating the Tenorio/Ada Ticket in the

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

with 50.7% of the vote.

Democratic Delegates to the House of Representatives

Since 1953, the Popular Party-led legislature had advocated for a Guamanian delegate to Congress. After years of frustration, then-Senator Ricardo J. Bordallo authored Public Law 7-173, which created an unofficial delegate to the U.S. Congress.

Antonio B. Won Pat

Following a special election in 1965, Antonio B. Won Pat was elected as Guam's unofficial delegate. After Won Pat's ardent efforts in Washington to press for an elected Governor as well as an official delegate, the U.S. Congress passed the Guam Elective Governor Act in 1968 and later authorized the creation of Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. The first delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives was former Speaker Antonio B. Won Pat. He served as Guam's delegate from 1973 to 1983.

Robert A. Underwood

In 1993,

was elected as delegate. He remained Guam's delegate until 2003 when he ran for Governor of Guam against

Felix P. Camacho Felix James Pérez Camacho (born October 30, 1957) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 7th Governor of Guam from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party of Guam, he had previously served as a six-term senator in the ...

Madeleine Z. Bordallo

Madeleine Z. Bordallo has been Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003. In the 2012 Primary Election, Bordallo faced a primary challenge by Karlo Dizon before facing Republican Senator Frank F. Blas, Jr., in the General Election.Guam Election Commission
''2012 Election Comparative Analysis Report''
Hagatna, 2013.

Michael San Nicolas

Michael San Nicolas was elected as Guam's delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. In the 2018 Primary Elections, San Nicolas ran to be the Democratic Party of Guam's candidate for Delegate in the November 2018 General Election. On August 25, 2018, San Nicolas won the primary election against Democratic incumbent

Madeleine Bordallo Madeleine Mary Zeien Bordallo (; born May 31, 1933) is an American-Guamanian politician who served as the delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2019. She is the first woman ever to serve as Guam' ...

by 3.4% of those who voted in the Democratic Party's primary election.Guam Election Commission
''2018 Primary Election Results''
, Hagatna, 26 August 2018. He defeated the Republican Party's candidate, Doris Flores Brooks in the

General Election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

Democratic Members of the Guam Legislature

The Democratic Party of Guam has held a majority of the seats in the Guam Legislature since the mid-term election during the 29th Guam Legislature saw Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz fill the vacancy left by the late Senator Antonio R. Unpingco. In the next General Election (2008), the 8-7 majority and in the next two legislatures, the Democratic Party has maintained a 9-6 majority. The 2014 General Election saw the vacancy left by the late Vicente "Ben" C. Pangelinan of an incumbent Democratic Senator, but their seats were taken by a newcomer

Nerissa Bretania Underwood Nerissa Bretania Underwood (born 1955) is a Guamanian politician who served as the senator in Guam Legislature, also former vice chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Guam, a former superintendent of the Guam Department of Education, and the wife ...

the wife of former Democratic Congressman and current

President

Democratic Mayors and Vice Mayors of Guam

Mayor Anthony P. Chargualaf was elected to his first term as Mayor of Inarajan in 2020 by a 59 percentage point lead. Five Mayors, Frankie A. Salas of Asan, Jessy Gogue of Chalan Pago-Ordot, Rudy A. Paco of Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Dale E. Alvarez of Santa Rita and Vicente S. Taitano of Talofofo were reelected for the first time in 2012. Mayor Robert R.D.C. Hoffman and Vice Mayor Rudy Don Iriarte have held their positions since they were first elected by the people of Sinajana in 2012. Mayor Melissa Savares have held her position since she were first elected by the people of Dededo in 2004 and newcomer Vice Mayor Peter J. Benavente was first elected to replace from his uncle an ongoing Vice Mayor Frank Benavente. Mayor Bill Quenga was first elected since the special election and to replace former mayor Jesse M. Blas.

Election performance

Governor

Young Democrats of Guam

Young Democrats of Guam (YDG) was founded on October 6, 2011, as the official youth arm of the Democratic Party of Guam.Saipan Tribune
''Young Democrats of Guam to charter for 1st time in 20 years''
Saipan. 7 October 2011.

Party Officials

Historic Chairpersons

Current elected officials

Territory officials

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 ...

(9th) *

Lieutenant Governor of Guam The Guamanian self-governing government consists of a locally elected governor, lieutenant governor and a fifteen-member Legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country ...

Josh Tenorio Joshua "Josh" Franquez Tenorio is an American politician and businessman currently serving as the 10th Lieutenant Governor of Guam since January 7, 2019. He is the first openly gay lieutenant governor elected in the United States and is a member ...

(10th) *

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Leevin Camacho Leevin Taitano Camacho is a Chamorro lawyer who served as attorney general of Guam. He was elected on November 6, 2018, defeating former attorney general Douglas Moylan with 67% of the vote. Inaugurated on January 7, 2019, Camacho succeeded Eliza ...

Legislative leaders

* Legislative Speaker: Therese M. Terlaje

U.S. House of Representative

At-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

: Michael F.Q. San Nicolas

Senators of the Guam Legislature

* Therese M. Terlaje ''(Speaker)'' *

Tina Rose Muña Barnes Tina Rose Muña Barnes (born August 24, 1962) is a Guamanian politician, currently serving as her 7th term as a senator in the Guam Legislature. She formerly served as the Speaker of the 35th Guam Legislature from 2019 to 2021. Family Tina Muña ...

''(Vice Speaker)'' * Telena Cruz Nelson ''(Majority Leader)'' * Amanda Shelton ''(Legislative Secretary)'' * Jose "Pedo" Terlaje * Sabina Perez

Former officials

Governors

* Manuel F.L. Guerrero (Appointed) * Ricardo Bordallo (2nd/4th) *

(6th)

Lieutenant Governors

Rudy Sablan Rudolph Guerrero Sablan (November 13, 1931 – July 24, 1995) was a Guamanian politician and member of the Democratic Party of Guam. Sablan served as the 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Guam from January 6, 1975 to January 1, 1979 under Governor Ric ...

(2nd) *

Edward Diego Reyes Edward Diego "Eddie" Reyes (January 24, 1930 – April 14, 2018) was a Guamanian politician and retired United States Air Force colonel. Reyes served as the 4th Lieutenant Governor of Guam from January 3, 1983, to January 5, 1987, under Governor ...

(4th) *

(6th)

U.S. House of Representatives

* Antonio B. Won Pat (1st Delegate) *

(3rd Delegate) * Madeleine Z. Bordallo (4th Delegate)

Speakers of the Guam Legislature

* Antonio B. Won Pat (1st, under the Popular Party) * Joaquin C. Arriola (4th) * Florencio T. Ramirez (5th) * Carl T.C. Gutierrez (8th) * Franklin J. Arceo Quitugua (9th) * Joe T. San Agustin (10th) * Don Parkinson (11th) * Vicente "Ben" C. Pangelinan (13th) * Judith Won Pat (15th) * Benjamin J.F. Cruz (16th)

Senators of the Guam Legislature

Tom Ada Thomas Castro Ada (born 1949) is a former Democratic Party of Guam politician in Guam. Ada served as Majority Leader of the 34th Guam Legislature and Senator in the Guam Legislature for 10 terms.Guam Election Commission''Election Comparative An ...

* Frank B. Aguon Jr. ''(Former Vice Speaker)'' * Regine Biscoe Lee * Herminia D. Dierking * Jose "Ping" Duenas * Alfred S.N. Flores * Judith Guthertz * Kelly Marsh Taitano * Ted S. Nelson ''(Former Vice Speaker)'' * Joaquin A. Perez * Michael F.Q. San Nicolas * Dr. Pedro "Doc" C. Sanchez * Angel L.G. Santos * Marcia K. Hartsock * Francis E. Santos * Dave Shimizu ''(Former Vice Speaker)'' *

Mayors

Pedo Terlaje Jose Toves "Pedo" Terlaje (September 23, 1946 – January 2023) was a Guamanian politician. Terlaje served as a senator in the Guam LegislatureGuam Legislature''Senators'' Hagatna, Guam. and Chairperson of the Committee on Public Safety, Border S ...

External links

''Guam Legislature's Official Website''

''Speaker Judith T.P. Won Pat's Official Website''

''Vice Speaker Benjamin J.F. Cruz's Official Website''

''Senator San Nicolas's Official Website''

''Senator Ben Pangelinan's Official Website''

''Senator Frank B. Aguon, Jr.'s Official Website''

''Senator Dennis G. Rodriguez, Jr.'s Official Website''

References

{{Authority control Political parties in Guam 1961 establishments in Guam Political parties established in 1961