2018 Guamanian gubernatorial election explained

See also: 2018 United States gubernatorial elections.

Election Name:2018 Guamanian gubernatorial election
Country:Guam
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2014 Guamanian gubernatorial election
Previous Year:2014
Next Election:2022 Guamanian gubernatorial election
Next Year:2022
Election Date:November 6, 2018
Nominee2:Ray Tenorio
Running Mate2:Tony Ada
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:9,487
Percentage2:26.4%
Nominee1:Lou Leon Guerrero
Running Mate1:Josh Tenorio
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:18,258
Percentage1:50.8%
Nominee3:Frank Aguon
(write-in)
Running Mate3:Alicia Limtiaco
Party3:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote3:8,205
Percentage3:22.8%
Map Size:200px
Governor
Before Election:Eddie Baza Calvo
Before Party:Republican
After Election:Lou Leon Guerrero
After Party:Democratic

The 2018 Guam gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Guam, concurrently with the election of Guam elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.[1]

Incumbent Republican Governor Eddie Baza Calvo, was term-limited and ineligible to seek a third term in office.

Following a contested primaries on August 25, 2018, the Democratic Party nominated Lou Leon Guerrero, a former Bank of Guam CEO, territorial senator, and 1998 lieutenant gubernatorial candidate. She won the nomination over territorial senator Frank B. Aguon, who chose to run a write-in campaign in the general election. The Republican Party nominated lieutenant governor Ray Tenorio, who served under Calvo from 2011 to 2019. The campaign centered on issues including abortion rights in Guam, ethical matters, and the role of the tourism sector. 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 since 1998.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

The Tenorio/Ada ticket was unopposed in the Republican primaries.

Democratic primary

The following candidates have officially declared their bids to run in 2018 Gubernatorial Elections.

Candidates

Results

General election

Campaign issues

Ethical issues

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 a conflict of interest issues regarding a pay increase bill.

Social issues

Both candidates debated issues centered around Guam's status as a tourism economy, with Tenorio pledging to strengthen the territory's tourism sector, while Leon Guerrero emphasized public safety measures to protect both residents and tourists.[10]

On abortion, Leon Guerrero indicated her support for abortion rights in Guam, while Tenorio indicated he was opposed to legalizing abortion.[11]

"Birthplace" controversy surrounding race and ethnicity

During the election, Leon Guerrero faced criticism from opponents for her speech in which she noted she was "was born and raised here".[12] In a campaign stump speech, Leon Guerrero, of Chamorro 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 nominee Ray Tenorio, who was born to a white family in Florida, criticized her remarks, asking "Does Lou really care about all Guamanians" in a campaign ad.[13]

Jerry Crisostomo, the chair of the Republican Party of Guam accused Leon Guerrero's campaign of utilizing "racial undertones" in her campaign against Tenorio. Write-in Democratic candidate Frank Aguon, who lost to Leon Guerrero in the August primary, also criticized her remarks. The Democratic 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".

Some Guamian officials stood in Leon Guerrero's defense, including former Democratic senator Hope 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 the University of Guam and Guam's former delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, stated he considers it "a stretch for the (Tenorio) team to say [Leon Guerrero] is racist or xenophobic".

Results

The general elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Democratic candidate Lou 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%.

External links

Official campaign websites

Notes and References

  1. Web site: For Voters . February 9, 2018 . Guam Election Commission . October 30, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181119125034/https://gec.guam.gov/index.php/for-voters/for-voters . November 19, 2018 . dead .
  2. Web site: Republican gubernatorial team Tenorio-Ada makes it official. Guampdn.com. 30 October 2018.
  3. Web site: Aguon and Limtiaco launch gubernatorial campaign. Guampdn.com. 30 October 2018.
  4. Web site: Lou Leon Guerrero to run for governor in 2018. Guampdn.com. 30 October 2018.
  5. Web site: Lourdes Aflague Leon Guerrero. Bloomberg.com. 30 October 2018.
  6. Web site: Former Gov. Carl Gutierrez confirms run for governor. Guampdn.com. 30 October 2018.
  7. Web site: Gutierrez taps Fred Bordallo as his running mate. Nick. Delgado. Kuam.com. 30 October 2018.
  8. Web site: Sen. Rodriguez announces run for governor. Guampdn.com. 30 October 2018.
  9. Web site: Sen. Dennis Rodriguez Jr. announces Dave Cruz as running mate. Guampdn.com. 30 October 2018.
  10. Web site: Gilbert . Haidee Eugenio . Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio, Lou Leon Guerrero face off over tourism economy . 2023-12-31 . The Greenville News . en-US.
  11. Web site: Gilbert . Haidee Eugenio . Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio, Bank of Guam President Lou Leon Guerrero square off in fiery 'Great Debate' . 2023-12-31 . The Greenville News . en-US.
  12. Web site: Cagurangan . Mar-Vic . 2018-10-29 . Does birthplace matter? . 2023-12-31 . pactimes . en.
  13. Web site: Lujan . Tihu . 2018-11-05 . Should a candidate emphasize ethnicity? Observers weigh in . 2023-12-31 . The Guam Daily Post . en.

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