Republicans captured an early Election Day victory in what they hope will become a nationwide trend.
Guam’s governorship Tuesday after Tony Ada and running mate EJ Calvo finished ahead of Democrats Therese Terlaje and Sabina Perez in the territory’s unofficial count. The result would end eight years of Democratic control of the governor’s office and hand Republicans an early pickup as mainland voters headed to the polls.
Unofficial Guam Election Commission figures showed Ada and Calvo with 15,945 votes, or 51.45%, compared with 14,925 votes, or 48.15%, for Terlaje and Perez. The Republican ticket’s margin stood at 1,020 votes in the latest unofficial tally, with 31,414 ballots cast territorywide.
The results have not yet been formally certified, with absentee and provisional ballots still subject to processing under Guam’s election calendar. Certification is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 19, while absentee ballots can arrive through Nov. 18.
Ada’s performance represented a significant reversal from polling released shortly before Election Day. An October Pasquines poll had Terlaje and Perez at 57.9%, compared with 35.4% for Ada and Calvo, although the survey used only 30 registered voters and was not a conventional random sample.
The gubernatorial contest was open because Democratic Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero was barred by term limits from seeking another consecutive term. Terlaje, a longtime Guam senator and former legislative speaker, won the Democratic nomination after defeating Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and Joe San Agustin in the August primary.
Ada secured the Republican nomination with former gubernatorial candidate and businessman EJ Calvo as his running mate. The Republican ticket also entered Election Day with a substantial fundraising advantage, helping Ada compete aggressively across the territory.
