Guam Primary Election – Unofficial Results

Supporters of the candidates lined up near the polling station on Guam’s main street.
photo: New Zealand Pacific Radio/Eleisha Foon

Guam held its primary election on Saturday.

Despite a registered electorate of over 60,000, turnout was low, with just over 31 percent voting.

Polling stations were located in 19 villages across the U.S. territory.

Party supporters of the mayor and senators lined the streets outside the main polling precincts, seeking support from passers-by.

According to the Guam Election Commission Informal resultsamong the Democratic candidates, the most popular candidates are Therese Terlaje (9321), Chris Barnet 8405), Joe San Agustin (8183) and Tina Muna Barnes (7851).

Republican candidates who received the most votes included Tony Adda (3,533), Sabrina Salas-Matanane (3,174), Frank Blass (3,099) and Jesse Lujan (3,068).

Indigenous Chamorro voter Larry Dahilig told RNZ Pacific veterans care affected how he voted.

“I’ve been voting since I got out of the U.S. Navy, which is 20 years of service, but it’s always good to get out and vote because there are always issues that come up,” he said.

He said health care on Guam is so poor that veterans have to travel off island to Hawaii for better care.

“A lot of military personnel have to go to Hawaii for treatment, but they can get it in Guam because Guam has a higher percentage of veterans compared to the U.S. (mainland).”

The purpose of primaries is to thin the number of Democrats and Republicans in the general election, which makes primaries a party choice.
photo: RNZ Pacific/Eleisha Foon

Each village will elect 19 councillors representing village chiefs and 15 senators to form the Guam Legislature – the U.S. territory’s legislative body.

Guam’s general election will be held on November 5, and voters will choose the island’s governor, a non-voting representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, the attorney general and all fifteen members of the territorial legislature.

The purpose of primaries is to thin the number of Democrats and Republicans in the general election, which makes primaries a party choice.