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Elections

Democrats sweep through the islands

By David North

Democratic Party candidates swept the November elections in US flag islands, with the re-election of delegates in American Samoa and Guam. Democrats seized the governorship in Guam and expanded their hold on the legislature.

Among the victors were: 1 Eni EH. Faleomavaega, the Samoa del egate, securing his fourth two-year term in Washington by a three-to-one margin over former Governor Coleman’s daugh ter, Amata Radewagen. 1 Robert Underwood, the Guam dele gate, winning his second term in the House without Opposition. 1 Guam senators CarlTC. Gutierrez and Madeleine Bordallo, being elected Governor and Lt. Governor respectively. 1 Democrats taking 13 of the 21 seats in the Guam legislature. 1 Democrats winning all major offices (a Senate seat, two places in the House

and Governorship).

Faleomavaega clearly can be Governor two years hence should he decide to trade his relatively low-pressure, well paid, comfortable job in Washington for the more stressful, more challenging one in Pago Pago.

Faleomavaega’s principal opponent was Amata Radewagen, a member of the republican National Committee and a skilled politician in her own right; she received 20 percent of the vote to 64 percent for the incumbent. Trailing were Faiivae Galea’i, chief of Faleomavaega’s clan, 13 percent, and Tuika Tuika, former member of the island legislature, with three percent.

While both Underwood and Faleomavaega did well at the polls they will have a more difficult two years fac ing them than the last two years. They had been members of the big Democratic majority in the House which tends to be more pro-minority and more

pro-spending and hence more pro islands than the Republicans.

Running as a team on Guam, Gutierrez and Bordallo collected 53 percent of the vote, defeating the Republican team of Senators Tommy Tanaka and Doris Floris Brooks. Gutierrez will replace two-term Republican Governor Joe Ada, who was barred by the island constitution from seeking a third consecutive term.

Bordallo’s successful race kept alive a remarkable political skein - either she or, in earlier years, her late husband Rick Bordallo, has been on the ballot for Governor or Lt. Governor ever since 1974. He ran and won in 1974 and 1982, he ran and lost in 1978 and 1986; shortly after his second defeat he committed sui cide rather than serve a prison term for fraud.

Bordallo lost to Ada in 1990, was sub sequently elected to the Legislature and was the winner of the number two spot this year. A Statesider, she is an outspoken proponent of Chamorro rights.

Gutierrez and Bordallo apparently won the contest because the Tanaka team pressed a little too hard for balancing the budget, and for fiscal accountability.

Saving money, and eliminating padded payrolls is good news for those who pay the costs of government, but not for those on the government payroll.

Everyone who benefits from big govern ment in Guam is a voter, but many of those who would benefit from a leaner government do not vote. In the latter cat egory are voteless groups or entities that subsidise the island government, such as tourists, US military personnel, off-island corporations and the government in

Washington.

The results of the Guam Senate elec tion, as is often the case, produced a more cosmopolitan legislative body than those elected in many other islands.

While the number of women elected in November, six out of 21, was below

the usual levels for Guam, it is well above the average for most other islands. In addition, the presiding officer, Lt Governor, is a woman.

While most of the senators are Chamorros, there is at least one Statesider in the group, at least two oth ers (like Underwood) of mixed Stateside and Chamorro ancestry, and two more who were children of Chamorro-Filipino marriages.

Guam’s senators are elected at large for two-year terms, with primary elections held to determine who will be the can didates of each party; the parties can choose up to 21 candidates fort he gen eral election.

There was more turnover than usual this year. Six of the sitting members left thd Legislature to run for Governor or Lt Governor in the primaries, which opened up a number of slots. Several other senators, including three women with substantial seniority, were turned aside this year by the voters. They were replaced by a number of Young Turks, youthful legislators most of whom ran on strong Chamorro rights platforms.

The two most interesting of newcom ers are both Republicans, both former associates of retiring Governor Joe Ada, and both of mixed Stateside-Chamorro ancestry. They are Elizabeth Barrett- Andersen, the former Attorney-General and Mark Forbes, former assistant to Ada.

Forbes has circulated a petition which calls for a referendum on cutting the size of the Legislature from 21 to 15 mem bers as a cost-cutting measure; this issue will be brought before the voters in the near future. There was speculation in early November as to how Forbes would feel if he were to be elected, but not in the top 15 - he was 10th on the list, while Barrett-Andersen came in second.

Topping the bill was Democratic Senator Tom Ada, a distant relative, but no ally, of the departing Governor.

The American Samoan Legislature is very different from Guam’s; it has two Houses, not one, and party labels are not used. Further, women and non-Samoans play very minor roles in either house. The Senate, which will have its next election for four-year terms in 1996, is chosen by matai and women rarely can vote, and have never served in that body. The House of Representatives, which serves two-year terms, was elected this year.

Noteworthy in the latter election was the success of Tulafono Solaita, who had served as Parks and Recreation Director under Governor Coleman. He won a seat in the House for the first time despite being tried the month before the elec tion for a variety of white collar crimes (stealing, embezzlement and forgery); the charges had been dismissed by the pre siding judge prior to the election. ■