Guam elects first Female Governor

Nov 9, 2018 | News | 0

After Tuesday’s general election, the Democrats have emerged with major victories: Guam has elected a woman for governor for the first time, gained a supermajority in the Legislature and will be sending a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives which also will be controlled by Democrats.

Gov.-elect Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov.-elect Joshua Tenorio received 18,081 votes, or 50.70 percent of the total votes cast in this year’s election.

“History was made today in the U.S. territory of Guam,” the Democratic Party of Guam stated. “Voters elected the island’s first female governor, first openly gay lieutenant governor, and, for the first time in the island’s history, women will outnumber men in the Guam Legislature. In fact, in the coming term, it is likely that all three branches of government – to include the judiciary – will be headed by a woman.”

The Republican team of Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio and former Sen. Tony Ada garnered 9,419 votes, or 26.41 percent.

However, the Tenorio-Ada campaign wasn’t ready to concede, stating: “Because of the slim margin for a 50 percent plus 1 declaration and the absentee ballots that remain to be counted, it is prudent that we wait on this process to be completed next week.”

The Tenorio-Ada team thanked its “supporters and the people of Guam for exercising their right to vote.”

The Republican gubernatorial team had prepared for a major celebration at its campaign headquarters in Tamuning, but as the results came in and Leon Guerrero maintained her lead, Ray Tenorio and Ada called it a day and left their campaign, followed by a sprinkling of supporters.

There were 8,161 write-in votes, or 22.88 percent.

While there were 55,941 registered voters in this year’s general election, only 66.3 percent came out to vote, which was a new low in recent Guam elections, the Guam Election Commission stated.

Leon Guerrero and Joshua Tenorio celebrated by dancing the Electric Slide and waving to early-morning commuters as the final results were announced.

The Democratic gubernatorial team held a steady lead throughout tabulation of the ballots and appeared to have met the threshold of 50 percent plus one vote.

‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart’

“We’re even more excited about starting on with the work that we have to do ahead of us,” Leon Guerrero stated. She thanked the team’s supporters for their hard work.

The victory was an early gift for Leon Guerrero, who celebrates her birthday today. Supporters celebrated with a birthday cake honoring the island’s governor-elect.

“Today is a great celebration for ourselves, our people and, of course, our supporters. We’re very happy with the results,” she said.

Joshua Tenorio said, “It’s an awesome, humbling experience to see all these people out here with us doing so many things for the island. There’s a lot of people who have a lot of hopes and aspirations and trust in us. Our work every day will be to meet those expectations and give them the best possible job that we can give them.”

GEC legal counsel Vince Camacho announced there are 200 electronic ballots and 50 homebound ballots that need to be added to the final count, which could affect the results. The election commission has 10 working days to receive the ballots and then certify the results.

Leon Guerrero stated, “I don’t think that any of the other votes will make a big change in the calculations and percentages that we have won. I’m pretty confident that the final numbers are what it is, and we will get certified in 10 days.”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I feel very honored that I am the governor-elect – the first female governor-elect. I think this is a great honor for women. We’ve made history today – good history today. And plus a 10-female majority in the Legislature – that is phenomenal,” Leon Guerrero said.

Joshua Tenorio said he believed that Guam’s female legislative supermajority is a first for the United States.

Majority female Legislature

The tabulation process took nearly 11 hours as the tabulating machines were programmed to spit out any write-in ballots.

Sen. Frank Aguon Jr. and running mate Alicia Limtiaco had pushed for a write-in campaign after losing the Democratic gubernatorial spot in the primary election.

When asked whether the Aguon-Limtiaco team is conceding, Aguon stated, “We have emphasized that, in a democracy, every person has the right to express his or her voice, to have a say in the leadership and direction of our island and government – that every vote counts. Consistent with this principle, we await the receipt, review and count of the absentee, homebound and provisional ballots, and any question regarding a concession statement will be addressed pending the certification of the final results of the election.”

Republican Party Chairman Jerry Crisostomo congratulated Guam’s first female governor-elect and the 10 women elected to the 35th Guam Legislature.

“This is the year of the woman, so Guam is setting that trend. We congratulate governor-elect Lou Leon Guerrero and the Republican Party will play its role as the loyal opposition,” he stated.

SOURCE: THE GUAM DAILY POST

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