Ricardo Jerome "Ricky" Bordallo (; – ) was an American politician and businessman, who served two terms as the second and fourth
governor of Guam
The governor of Guam ( / ) 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 Territory) addresses to t ...
with Lieutenant Governor
Rudy Sablan from 1975 to 1979, and with Lieutenant Governor
Edward Diego Reyes from 1983 to 1987. A member of the
Democratic Party of Guam
The Democratic Party of Guam is a political party in Guam 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 ...
, Bordallo previously served as a Senator in the
Guam Legislature
The Legislature of Guam () is the law-making body for the United States territory of Guam. The unicameral legislative branch consists of fifteen senators, each serving for a two-year term. All members of the legislature are elected at-large with ...
from 1957 to 1971.
Early life
Bordallo was born on in
Hagåtña, Guam
Hagåtña, formerly Agana or Agaña, is a coastal village and the capital of the United States territory of Guam. From the 18th through mid-20th century, it was Guam's population center, but today, it is the second smallest of the island's 19 ...
. He was the son of Baltazar Jeronimo "BJ" Bordallo (August 8, 1900 – May 10, 1984), a businessman, and Josefina Torres Pangelinan (December 18, 1904 – December 2, 1945). BJ Bordallo was a popular politician from the 1930s to 1950s. Ricardo Bordallo was the first child of a family including his brother Paul Joseph Bordallo (1930–2007), who was a former senator. Ricardo Bordallo attended the
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...
before returning to
Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
and becoming a successful businessman and car dealer. Among other positions, he was the proprietor of "Ricky's Suburban Club," a restaurant and bar in
Tamuning, Guam
Tamuning, also known as Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon (), is a village located on the western shore of the United States territory of Guam. The village of Tamuning is the economic center of Guam, containing tourist center Tumon, Harmon Industrial Park, ...
. Bordallo also established "Ricky's Auto Company" in the mid 1950s which became
Toyota
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
's first American car dealer.
Personal life
Bordallo was married to
Madeleine Zeien Bordallo in 1953; together they have one daughter Deborah, and one grandchild, Nicole Nelson. Bordallo's widow was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1990, and served as
Lieutenant Governor of Guam
The Guamanian self-governing government consists of a locally elected List of Governors of Guam, governor, List of current United States lieutenant governors, lieutenant governor and a fifteen-member Legislature of Guam, Legislature. The first p ...
from 1995 to 2003, and as the island's Delegate to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
from 2003 until losing renomination in the
2018 election.
Political career
Senator of the Guam Legislature
Bordallo was first elected to the
Guam Legislature
The Legislature of Guam () is the law-making body for the United States territory of Guam. The unicameral legislative branch consists of fifteen senators, each serving for a two-year term. All members of the legislature are elected at-large with ...
in 1956 as a member of the Popular Party (predecessor to the Democratic Party of Guam). Bordallo served in the territorial legislature from 1957 to 1970 and twice served as Chairman of the
Democratic Party of Guam
The Democratic Party of Guam is a political party in Guam 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 ...
. As a senator, he introduced the law that first created an unofficial Guam delegate to the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...
.
Bordallo-Taitano Gubernatorial Ticket (1970)
Bordallo first ran for
governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
in the 1970 election, which was the first election in which the people of Guam were allowed to elect their governor. He ran with Senator
Richard "Dick" Taitano against two other former gubernatorial teams: Former governor
Manuel Guerrero and his running mate
Dr. Antonio C. (Tony) Yamashita, as well as attorney and former speaker
Joaquin C. "Kin" Arriola and retired judge and former senator
Vicente Bamba. Bordallo-Taitano came in first in the primary election by a close margin over Guerrero-Yamashita and then won the run-off election. However, due to the contentious Democratic campaign, Bordallo-Taitano lost in the general election to the Republican team of incumbents
Carlos G. Camacho and
Kurt S. Moylan. The election was significant for Bordallo, however, as he and Dick Taitano created Guam's first "grassroots" political organization throughout the villages.
Governorship (1975–1979)
Bordallo-Sablan Gubernatorial Ticket (1974)
Bordallo's wife, Madeleine, also proved to be a passionate and untiring campaigner and helped draw many supporters to the organization. This organization and base of supporters would prove valuable when Bordallo ran again in the 1974 election. Madeleine Bordallo was most known for her humanitarian pursuits. She sponsored many civil cultural events including the Guam Symphony and a program for instructing children in the Suzuki method of violin.
Bordallo ran for governor for a second time in 1974, this time with
Rudolph "Rudy" Guerrero Sablan. They were up against four other Democratic tickets: Manuel Guerrero and running mate David D.L. Flores; Pedro C. Sanchez and Esteban U. Torres; and
Joaquin C. "Kin" Arriola and Theodore "Ted" Nelson. Dick Taitano was the manager of the Bordallo-Sablan campaign and broadened the organization he had set up in 1970. This organization proved decisive, and Bordallo-Sablan easily beat the other Democratic teams.
The Bordallo-Sablan team then went on to beat the Camacho-Moylan team, which had just barely beat the Republican rival team of Paul Calvo and
Antonio Palomo in the primary. Calvo ran as a write-in candidate in the general election, drawing support from Camacho-Moylan, and Bordallo-Sablan won by less than 600 of the 22,000-plus votes.
First term 1975–1979
Bordallo's first term in office, from 1975 to 1979, was contentious. He was characterized as highly charismatic but highly controversial. Someone wasn't afraid to speak his mind on any issue. During this time the issue of independence, statehood, commonwealth status or continuation as a U.S. territory was put to the voters. Senator Paul Bordallo, his brother, favored independence. The voters elected to keep the status quo as a dependent territory. Bordallo was successful in securing $367 million for typhoon reconstruction, capital improvement project and Government of Guam investments. A new was secured at the Guam Memorial Hospital.
Bordallo-Sanchez Gubernatorial Ticket (1978)
In 1978, Bordallo ran for re-election with a former
University of Guam
University of Guam () (U.O.G.) is a public university, 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 and ele ...
president Dr.
Pedro C. Sanchez as his running mate for lieutenant governor. Lieutenant Governor Sablan declared his candidacy for the gubernatorial election and was a candidate in the September 1978 Democratic primary, along with his running mate for Lt. Governor was Attorney Jose Iglesias Leon Guerrero. Bordallo won the Democratic primary and defeated the Sablan-Leon Guerrero campaign with more votes. However, Bordallo lost to the Republican Calvo-Ada team in the gubernatorial general election.
Governorship (1983–1987)
Bordallo-Reyes Gubernatorial Ticket (1982)
Bordallo ran for a third time political arena in 1982 with a political unknown, Air Force Colonel
Eddie Reyes, as his running mate. He beat out Democrats
Carl Gutierrez
Carl Tommy Cruz Gutierrez (born October 15, 1941) is an American (U.S. citizen) politician who was the sixth governor of Guam, serving two four-year terms with Lieutenant Governor Madeleine Bordallo from January 2, 1995, to January 6, 2003. Guti ...
and
John P. Aguon
John Perez Aguon is a Guamanian former politician who served as Senator in the Legislature of Guam, Guam Legislature for 6 terms.Guam Election Commission''Election Comparative Analysis Report, 1994'' Hagatna, Guam. Pages 46-50 He is the member of ...
for the Democratic nomination and won office yet again. Promising to guide Guam out of the recession and push for commonwealth status, the Bordallo/Reyes ticket defeated incumbent Governor Calvo in the 1982 elections.
Second term 1983–1987
Bordallo's second term in office, from 1983 to 1987. During his second term, 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. He went to Washington, D.C., on January 20, 1985, with congressman
Ben Blaz
Vincente Tomás Garrido Blaz (February 14, 1928 – January 8, 2014), also known as Ben Blaz, was a Chamorro people, Chamorro United States Marine Corps Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General from the United States Territories of the ...
at the Officers Club, and
Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force (USAF). In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form ...
.
Bordallo-Reyes Gubernatorial Ticket (1986)
Bordallo sought re-election with Lt. Gov Edward D. Reyes as his running mate. The ticket won the Democratic nomination when they defeated by Senator Gutierrez and Senator
John P. Aguon
John Perez Aguon is a Guamanian former politician who served as Senator in the Legislature of Guam, Guam Legislature for 6 terms.Guam Election Commission''Election Comparative Analysis Report, 1994'' Hagatna, Guam. Pages 46-50 He is the member of ...
in the primary election. Bordallo lost the general election to former Lieutenant Governor Ada and Senator Frank F. Blas in the general election.
Post-governorship
Criminal conviction
In February 1987, Bordallo was convicted on ten counts of corruption and was sentenced to nine years in prison and fined more than $100,000. He was accused of receiving over $100,000 worth of bribes and extortion in connection with favors he performed in office for campaign contributions. His convictions on eight counts of bribery and
extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...
were overturned in August 1988, leaving charges of
obstruction of justice
In United States jurisdictions, obstruction of justice refers to a number of offenses that involve unduly influencing, impeding, or otherwise interfering with the justice system, especially the legal and procedural tasks of prosecutors, investiga ...
and witness tampering. On December 13, 1989, he was sentenced to four years in prison on the remaining charges.
Ex-Guam Governor Kills Himself On Eve of Jailing for Corruption (New York Times article)
/ref>
Suicide
After his failed appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Bordallo faced a four-year sentence in a federal minimum-security prison beginning on February 1, 1990. Three hours before he was scheduled to be transferred to a prison in Boron, California
Boron (formerly Amargo, Baker, Borate, and Kern) is a unincorporated place in Kern County, California, United States. Boron is southwest of Red Rock Mountain at an elevation of . For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defi ...
on , the former Governor killed himself in Hagåtña by wrapping himself in a flag of Guam
The flag of Guam was adopted on February 9, 1948. The territorial flag is a dark blue field with a narrow red border on all sides. The red border – a later addition – represents the blood spilled during World War II and earlier Spanish sover ...
, chaining himself to statue of Chief Kepuha
Kepuha (died 1669), also spelled Kipuhá or Quipuha, was the island of Guam's first Catholic Church, Catholic chief. He granted land in the Villages of Guam, village of Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña to Spanish missionaries, upon which was built the f ...
(also Quipuha, Guam's first native chief to convert to Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
ism) located along Marine Corps Drive
Guam Highway 1 (GH-1), also known as Marine Corps Drive, is one of the primary automobile routes in the United States territory of Guam. It runs in a southwest-to-northeast direction, from the main gate of Naval Base Guam in the southwestern vi ...
(the island's primary thoroughfare), and shooting himself in the head with a .38 caliber pistol. He had also set up four placards around the monument, one of which paraphrased the last words of Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755 – September 22, 1776) was an American Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot, soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an Military intelligence, intelligence ...
: "I regret that I only have one life to give to my island."
Bordallo died of massive brain damage at 4:28 P.M. at Naval Hospital, aged 62. He was buried at Pigo Cemetery in western Hagåtña.
Honors
In January 1997, the territorial administration facility was officially named as Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex in his honor.
Electoral history
References
External links
Ricardo Bordallo Bio
at Guampedia, Guam's Online Encyclopedia
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bordallo, Ricardo
1927 births
1990 suicides
1990 deaths
Democratic Party governors of Guam
Guamanian businesspeople
American automobile salespeople
American restaurateurs
Chamorro people
Members of the Legislature of Guam
People from Hagåtña, Guam
Guamanian politicians convicted of crimes
Politicians convicted of program bribery
American politicians who died by suicide
Suicides by firearm in Guam
University of San Francisco alumni
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American legislators