List of Governors of Guam

Governor of Guam
I Maga'låhen Guåhan
Seal of the Governor
Incumbent
Eddie Baza Calvo
since January 3, 2011
Style The Honorable (formal)
Residence Government House (Agaña Heights)
Seat Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex (Adelup)
Term length 4 years (2 term limits)
Constituting instrument Organic Act of Guam
Inaugural holder Carlos Camacho
Formation January 4, 1971
Deputy Lieutenant Governor of Guam (Ray Tenorio)
Salary $90,000 (2013)[1]
Website Office of the Governor
Guam
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Guam

The Governor of Guam (Chamorro: I Maga'låhen Guåhan ) is the chief executive of the 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 the Guam Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that Guam's public laws are enforced. The position was created in 1968, through the passage of the Guam Elected Governors Act which took effect in 1970. Guam elected its first civilian governor in 1970 with the inauguration of former governor Carlos Camacho.

The current governor is Eddie Baza Calvo, a Republican who was inaugurated on January 3, 2011, and was once again re-elected to a 2nd term in 2014.

Powers and Duties

The governor has a duty to enforce Guam's public laws, the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Guam Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to commute or grant pardons to criminal sentences, except in cases of treason and impeachment. The governor is given the power to control government budgeting and appoint many officials (including many judges).

Unlike the other government departments that compose the executive branch of government, the governor is themselves head of the state executive Department. The governor may also perform ceremonial roles, such as greeting dignitaries, issuing symbolic proclamations or commencing the Liberation Day parade.

Governor Eddie Calvo and First Lady Christine Calvo, accompanied by Lt. Gen. Richard T. Tryon and his wife at a Friday Evening Parade at Marine Barracks Washington.

As the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, the governor, as well as the president, may call on the Guard at a moment's notice to provide defense for the island, in a state of emergency.

Republican governor Eddie Calvo delivers his 8th State of the Island Address in the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña
Republican governor Eddie Baza Calvo delivers his 6th State of the Island Address at the Guam Museum in Hagåtña

The governor also delivers the annual State of the Island address (similar to the State of the State address in the US) to a special session of the Guam Legislature. The speech is given to satisfy a constitutional stipulation that a governor must report annually, or in older constitutions described as being "from time to time", on the state or condition of the territory.

Seat and Residence

The Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex in Adelup, the seat of the Governor of Guam

Sitting along Route 1, the governor's seat of power is located in Adelup in the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex, named after the island's 2nd and 4th governor, Ricardo Bordallo.

The Government House in Agaña Heights, the official residence of the Governor of Guam

The governor resides in his official residence at the Government House in Agaña Heights. The island's former Spanish and American military governors had resided in the Governor's Palace in the Plaza de España (Hagåtña) till its destruction in the shelling of Hagåtña during the reconquest of Guam in World War II.

The former Government House at Plaza de España in Hagåtña in 1930

Election Process

Eligibility

According to the Elective Governors Act:

"No person shall be eligible for election to the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor unless he is an eligible voter and has been for five consecutive years immediately preceding the election a citizen of the United States and a bona fide resident of Guam andill be, at the time of taking office, at least thirty years of age. The Governor shall maintain his official residence in Guam during his incumbency.[2]"

To be eligible, a candidate for Governor of Guam must:

  • an eligible voter of Guam
  • a United States citizen
  • at least thirty years of age.
  • has resided in Guam for five years, preceding the general election.

Election

According to the Elective Governor Acts of 1968, the Governor of Guam, together with the Lieutenant Governor, shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast by the people who are qualified to vote for the members of the Legislature of Guam. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be chosen jointly, by the casting by each voter of a single vote applicable to both offices. The first election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor was held on November 3, 1970, with the election of Governor Carlos Camacho and Lt. Governor Kurt Moylan. Beginning in 1974, Guam's Governor and Lieutenant Governor is elected by direct vote, on the first Tuesday of November. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall hold office for a term of four years and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Inauguration

Republican governor Felix Camacho takes his oath of office in the Plaza de España in Hagåtña
Governor Eddie Baza Calvo takes his oath of office, after his re-election win in 2014

The Governor of Guam usually takes the oath of office on the first Monday of January. In past inaugurations, however, the governor-elect and lieutenant governor-elect would take the oath of office past midnight on Monday morning. Incumbent governor Eddie Baza Calvo and Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio in 2010 chose to be inaugurated one minute past midnight to prevent "a legal wrangle" on who was governor until his public inauguration.[3] Traditionally, the lieutenant governor-elect takes the oath first and delivers his inaugural remarks, followed then by the incoming governor-elect. As soon as the governor takes the oath of office, four ruffles and flourishes are played then followed by "The Stars and Stripes Forever". The newly inaugurated governor delivers his inaugural address, an opportunity for the new leader to state his goals for the next 4 years.

Oath of office

Pursuant to the Guam Organic Act, the governor's term of office begins at midnight on the first Monday of January of the year following the election. The day marks the beginning of the four-year term of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Guam. Before executing his/her powers as the Governor of Guam, he/she must take an oath of office:

I, (name), duly elected Governor of Guam, do solemnly swear, in the presence of the Almighty God, that I will well and faithfully support the Constitution of the United States, the laws of the United States applicable to Guam, and the laws of Guam, and that I will conscientiously and impartially discharge my duties as the Governor of Guam.

In line with traditional oath-takings, governors have traditionally palmed a Bible and have added, "So help me God!" at the end of their oaths. The Governor of Guam is sworn in by the Chief Justice of Guam.

Tenure and term limits

The Governor of Guam is only limited two terms as prescribed in the Elective Governors Act:

  • No person who has been elected Governor for two full successive terms shall again be eligible to hold that office until one full term has intervened.
  • The term of the elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall commence on the first Monday of January following the date of election.

However, a former governor can be re-elected once again only after a full term has passed.

History

Spanish–American War era

During the Spanish colonial period, Guam was ruled from the Philippines as part of the Spanish East Indies by the Governor-General of the Philippines.

American capture of the territory (1898)

ImageNameTerm startTerm end
Henry Glass, AdmiralJune 12, 1898June 22, 1898
Francisco Martínez PortusachJune 22, 1898December 12, 1898

Political instability (1898–1899)

ImageNameTerm startTerm endNotes
José SistoDecember 12, 1898December 31, 1898overthrew Portusach
Venancio RobertoDecember 31, 1898January 2, 1899overthrew Sisto
José SistoJanuary 2, 1899February 1, 1899put back in power by US Navy
Edward D. TaussigFebruary 1, 1899February 13, 1899re-asserted USN authority, put a local council in place
Don Joaquin Perez y CruzFebruary 13, 1899April 20, 1899local council
William CoeApril 20, 1899May 9, 1899local council
Louis A. KaiserMay 9, 1899August 7, 1899local council

American Naval governors (1899–1941)

#ImageNameTerm startTerm end
1Richard Phillips LearyAugust 7, 1899July 12, 1900
–William Edwin Safford
Acting		June 12, 1900July 19, 1900
2Seaton SchroederJuly 12, 1900January 25, 1903
–William Swift
Acting		January 25, 1903February 6, 1903
3William Elbridge SewellFebruary 6, 1903May 16, 1904
–Frank Herman Schofield
Acting		January 11, 1904January 28, 1904
3Raymond Stone
Acting		January 28, 1904May 16, 1904
4George Leland DyerMay 16, 1904November 2, 1905
5Luke McNameeNovember 2, 1905December 3, 1906
6Templin Morris PottsDecember 3, 1906October 3, 1907
–Luke McNamee
Acting		October 3, 1907December 28, 1907
7Edward John DornDecember 28, 1907November 5, 1910
8Frank FreyerNovember 5, 1910January 21, 1911
9George SalisburyJanuary 21, 1911January 30, 1912
10Robert Edward CoontzJanuary 30, 1912September 23, 1913
11Alfred Walton HindsSeptember 23, 1913March 28, 1914
12William John MaxwellMarch 28, 1914April 29, 1916
–William P. Cronan
Acting		April 29, 1916May 18, 1916
–Edward E. Simpson
Acting		May 18, 1916May 30, 1916
13Roy Campbell SmithMay 30, 1916November 18, 1918
14William GilmerNovember 18, 1918November 22, 1919
–William A. HodgmanNovember 22, 1919December 21, 1919
15William GilmerDecember 21, 1919July 7, 1920
16Ivan WettengelJuly 7, 1920February 27, 1921
17James Sutherland SporeFebruary 27, 1921February 7, 1922
–Adelbert Althouse
Acting		February 7, 1922December 8, 1922
–John P. Miller
Acting		December 8, 1922December 14, 1922
18Adelbert AlthouseDecember 14, 1922August 4, 1923
19Henry Bertram PriceAugust 4, 1923August 26, 1924
20Alfred Winsor BrownAugust 26, 1924August 7, 1926
23Lloyd Stowell ShapleyAugust 7, 1926June 11, 1929
24Willis W. BradleyJune 11, 1929March 15, 1931
25Edmund RootMarch 15, 1931June 21, 1933
26George A. AlexanderJune 21, 1933March 27, 1936
27Benjamin McCandlishMarch 27, 1936February 8, 1938
28James Thomas AlexanderFebruary 8, 1938April 20, 1940
29George McMillinApril 20, 1940December 10, 1941

Japanese military governors (1941–1944)

Name
(Birth–Death)		 Took office Left office
Tomitarō Horii
(1890–1942)		 December 10, 1941 January 1942
Hayashi Hiromu January 1942 June 1942
Homura Teiichi June 1942 March 1944
Takeshi Takashina
(1891–1944)		 March 1944 July 28, 1944
Hideyoshi Obata
(1890–1944)		 July 28, 1944 August 11, 1944

American military governors (1944–1949)

Name
(Birth–Death)		 Took office Left office
Roy Stanley Geiger
(1885–1947)		 July 21, 1944 August 10, 1944
Henry Louis Larsen
(1890–1962)		 August 10, 1944 May 30, 1946
Charles Alan Pownall
(1887–1975)		 May 30, 1946 September 27, 1949

Appointed civilian governors (1949–1971)

# Governor
(Birth–Death)		 Took office Left office Appointed by Acting Governor
1   Carlton Skinner
(1913–2004)		 September 17, 1949 April 22, 1953 Harry S. Truman Randall Herman
(February 20, 1953 – April 22, 1953)
2   Ford Quint Elvidge
(1892–1980)		 April 23, 1953 October 2, 1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower William T. Corbett
(May 19, 1956 – October 2, 1956)
3   Richard Barrett Lowe
(1902–1972)		 October 2, 1956 July 9, 1960 Marcellus Boss
(November 14, 1959 – August 22, 1960)
4   Joseph Flores
(1900–1981)		 July 9, 1960 May 20, 1961
5   William Partlow Daniel
(1915–2006)		 May 20, 1961 March 9, 1963 John F. Kennedy Manuel Flores Leon Guerrero
(January 20, 1963 – March 9, 1963)
6   Manuel F. Leon Guerrero
(1914–1985)		 March 9, 1963 July 20, 1969
Lyndon B. Johnson
7   Carlos Camacho
(1924–1979)		 July 20, 1969 January 4, 1971 Richard Nixon

Elected governors (1971–present)

  Democratic (3)       Republican (5)

Governor Served Party Elected Previous Office Lieutenant Governor
1   Carlos Camacho
(1924–1979)		 January 4, 1971
–
January 6, 1975		 Republican 1970 Appointed Governor of Guam   Kurt S. Moylan
2   Ricardo Bordallo
(1927–1990)		 January 6, 1975
–
January 1, 1979		 Democratic 1974 Senator of the Guam Legislature   Rudolph G. Sablan
3   Paul McDonald Calvo
(1934–)		 January 1, 1979
–
January 3, 1983		 Republican 1978 Senator of the Guam Legislature   Joseph F. Ada
4   Ricardo Bordallo
(1927–1990)		 January 3, 1983
–
January 5, 1987		 Democratic 1982 Senator of the Guam Legislature   Edward Diego Reyes
5   Joseph F. Ada
(1943–)		 January 3, 1987
–
January 2, 1995		 Republican 1986
1990		 Lieutenant Governor of Guam   Frank F. Blas
6   Carl T.C. Gutierrez
(1941–)		 January 2, 1995
–
January 6, 2003		 Democratic 1994
1998		 Senator of the Guam Legislature   Madeleine Bordallo
7   Felix P. Camacho
(1957–)		 January 6, 2003
–
January 3, 2011		 Republican 2002
2006		 Senator of the Guam Legislature   Kaleo Moylan
  Michael Cruz
8   Eddie J. Baza Calvo
(1961–)		 January 3, 2011
–
Incumbent		 Republican 2010
2014		 Senator of the Guam Legislature   Ray Tenorio

Living former governors

As of January 2017, four former governors were alive, the oldest being Paul McDonald Calvo (1979–1983, born 1934). The most recent governor to die was Ricardo Bordallo (1975–1979, 1983–1987), on January 31, 1990.

NameGubernatorial termDate of birth
Paul McDonald Calvo
1979–1983
July 25, 1934
Joseph Franklin Ada
1987–1995
December 3, 1943
Carl Gutierrez
1995–2003
October 15, 1941
Felix Perez Camacho
2003–2011
October 30, 1957

See also

References

  1. ↑ "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  2. ↑ https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/48/1422
  3. ↑ https://pacificnewscenter.com/calvo-and-tenorio-actually-sworn-in-night-before-inauguration/
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