Legislature of Guam

Spanish Period: 1668–1898

During the Spanish colonial era, lasting roughly from the 1670s until 1898, Guam was provided with no colonial legislature. All political decisions on the island were left to a Madrid appointed governor, who, until 1817, reported to the Viceroy of New Spain in Mexico. Due to New Spain's distance from Guam and the speed of transportation of the times, Guam's leadership often took matters into its own hands. During the Mexican War of Independence, when Spain increasingly saw New Spain falling through its grip, Madrid transferred Guam's political authority to the Governor of Manila, and after 1821, fully to the Spanish Philippines.

American Period: 1898–1941, 1944–present

Spain lost Guam during the 1898 Spanish–American War in a bloodless invasion. For the next forty years, the United States Navy assumed executive control of the island, treating it more as a military outpost than an overseas territory, with little to no civilian say in the island's affairs. Governor Captain Willis Winter Bradley instituted the Guam Congress during the 1930s as an elected advisory body to the naval governor. On December 8, 1941, Imperial Japanese forces invaded Guam, beginning a three-year occupation of the island. The island was eventually retaken in 1944 during the intense Battle of Guam.

Following the end of the war, the U.S. Navy attempted to resume military control of the islands, much to the dismay of the local Chamorro population who demanded greater rights on the heels of the harsh Japanese occupation. The U.S. federal government listened. The result was the Guam Organic Act of 1950 signed by President Harry S. Truman. The act established a civilian territorial government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It was the first time that Guam had a democratic civilian government.

Structure of the Guam Legislature

The Guam Organic Act of 1950 provides for the establishment of the Guam Legislature. The Organic Act provides that the Guam Legislature is a unicameral body with up to twenty-one members and that elections shall be held every two years. Until a change to Guam law in 1996, the Guam Legislature had 21 members, called senators, but since then it has had 15 senators. Senators of the Guam Legislature have been elected both by a number of at-large districts and by an island-wide at-large election. Since the 1980s, senators of the Guam Legislature have been elected at-large through an open partisan primary and a subsequent island-wide election.

24th through 34th Guam Legislatures

In the November 1996 legislative elections, the Republican Party defeated the Democratic Party. The Republicans held 11 seats (Speaker Antonio Unpingco, Vice Speaker Anthony C. Blaz, Legislative Secretary Joanne M. Salas Brown, Majority Leader Mark Forbes, Asst. Majority leader Felix Camacho, Majority Whip Francisco P. Camacho, Asst. Majority Whip Eduardo J. Cruz, Alberto C. Lamorena V, Lawrence F. Kasperbauer, Carlotta Leon Guerrero, and William B.S.M. Flores). The Democrats held 8 seats (Vicente C. Pangelinan, Lou Leon Guerrero, Frank B. Aguon, Jr., Mark C. Charfauros, John C. Salas, Francis E. Santos, Judith Won Pat-Borja, and Angel L.G. Santos).

In the November 1998 legislative elections, the Republican Party defeated the Democratic Party. The Republicans held 9 seats (Speaker Antonio Unpingco, Vice Speaker Anthony C. Blaz, Legislative Secretary Joanne M. Salas Brown, Majority Leader Mark Forbes, Asst. Majority leader Eddie Calvo, Majority Whip Lawrence F. Kasperbauer, Asst. Majority Whip Kaleo Moylan, Simon A. Sanchez II and Marcel G. Camacho). The Democrats held six seats (Vicente C. Pangelinan, Eulogio C. Bermudes, Alberto C. Lamorena V, Frank B. Aguon, Jr., Carlotta Leon Guerrero, and John C. Salas).

In the November 2000 legislative elections, the Republican Party defeated the Democratic Party. The Republicans held 8 seats (Speaker Antonio Unpingco, Vice Speaker Lawrence F. Kasperbauer, Legislative Secretary Joanne M. Salas Brown, Majority Leader Mark Forbes, Asst. Majority leader Eddie Calvo, Majority Whip Felix Camacho, Asst. Majority Whip Kaleo Moylan, and Joseph F. Ada). The Democrats held seven seats (Vicente C. Pangelinan, Lou Leon Guerrero, Mark C. Charfauros, Judith Won Pat-Borja, Thomas C. Ada, Frank B. Aguon, Jr. and Angel L.G. Santos).

In the November 2002 legislative elections, the Democratic Party defeated the Republican Party. The Democrats held 9 seats (Speaker Vicente C. Pangelinan, Vice Speaker Frank B. Aguon, Jr., Legislative Secretary Tina R. Muna Barnes, Majority Leader Lou Leon Guerrero, Asst. Majority leader Antoinette Sanford, Majority Whip Carmen Fernandez, Asst. Majority Whip John M. Quinata, Rory J. Respicio, and F. Randall Cunliffe). The Republicans held six seats (Mark Forbes, Joanne M. Salas Brown, Lawrence Kasperbauer, Jesse Anderson Lujan, Robert Kiltzkie and Ray Tenorio).

In the November 2004 legislative elections, the Republican Party defeated the Democratic Party. The Republicans held 9 seats (Speaker Mark Forbes, Vice Speaker Joanne Salas Brown, Majority Leader Ray Tenorio, Majority Whip Jesse Anderson Lujan, Lawrence Kasperbauer, Antonio R. Unpingco, Edward B. Calvo, Michael Cruz and Robert Klitzkie). The Democrats held six seats (Frank B. Aguon Jr., Lou Leon Guerrero, Adolpho Palacios, Benjamin Cruz, Judith Won Pat-Borja and Rory Respicio).

In the November 2006 legislative elections, the Republican Party defeated the Democratic Party. The Republicans held 8 seats (Speaker Mark Forbes, Vice Speaker Edward B. Calvo, Ray Tenorio, Antonio R. Unpingco, Jesse Anderson Lujan, James V. Espaldon, Frank F. Blas Jr., and Frankie Ishizaki). The Democrats held seven seats (Judith Won Pat, Rory J. Respicio, David L.G. Shimizu, Tina R. Muna Barnes, Judith P. Guthertz, Adolpho B. Palacios, Vicente C. Pangelinan).

In October 2007, Republican Senator Antonio (Tony) Unpingco died, and in a Special Election held in January 2008, Democratic Party candidate Benjamin "BJ" Cruz won the vacated seat and brought the Democrats to the majority. After Cruz was inaugurated, the new Democratic majority demanded control of the legislature, but Republicans held on to standing rules adopted in January 2007 which required a 12-3 vote to change the speakership and a 10-5 vote to change the standing rules, both of which the Democrats did not have. Finally, after a six-day power struggle during which two "legislatures" with two "speakers" both claimed legitimacy, Republicans gave up their leadership and Democratic Senator Judith Won Pat was elected speaker by the full legislature.

In the November 2008 legislative elections, the Democratic Party defeated the Republican Party. The Democrats hold 10 seats (Speaker) Judith T. Won Pat, Vice Speaker Benjamin J. F. Cruz, Legislative Secretary Tina R. Muna Barnes, Majority Leader Rory J. Respicio, Judith P. Guthertz, Adolpho B. Palacios, Vicente C. Pangelinan, Thomas C. Ada, Frank B. Aguon, Jr., and Matthew J. Rector. The Republicans hold five seats (Minority Leader Edward B. Calvo, Ray Tenorio, Frank F. Blas Jr., James V. Espaldon, and Telo Taitague).

In January 19, 2010, Democratic Senator Matt Rector has been resign during his press conference. Republican former candidate Vicente Anthony "Tony" Ada where he was taken the vacant seat and became as the first senator on March 22, 2010 upon swearing-in ceremony was held late this afternoon, after he who won this past weekend's special election decidedly.

In the November 2010 legislative elections, the Democratic Party defeated the Republican Party. The Democrats hold 9 seats (Speaker) Judith T. Won Pat, Vice Speaker Benjamin J. F. Cruz, Legislative Secretary Tina R. Muna Barnes, Majority Leader Rory J. Respicio, Judith P. Guthertz, Dennis G. Rodriguez, Jr., Adolpho B. Palacios, Vicente C. Pangelinan, and Thomas C. Ada. The Republicans hold five seats (Minoroty Leader Frank F. Blas Jr., Aline Yamashita, V. Anthony Ada, Christopher M. Duenas, Shirley "Sam" Mabini, and Mana Silva Taijeron).

Members of the 32nd Guam Legislature

In the November 2012 legislative elections, the Democratic Party defeated the Republican Party. The Democrats currently hold nine seats and the Republicans holds six seats.

Members of the 33rd Guam Legislature

In the November 2014 legislative elections, the Democratic Party defeated the Republican Party. The Democrats currently hold nine seats and the Republicans hold six seats.

Members of the 34th Guam Legislature

In the November 2016 legislative elections, the Democratic Party defeated the Republican Party. The Democrats currently hold nine seats and the Republicans hold six seats.