Ricardo Bordallo - Political Career

Political Career

Bordallo was first elected to the Guam Legislature in 1956 as a member of the Popular Party (predecessor to the Democratic Party of Guam). Bordallo served in the territorial legislature from 1956 to 1970, and twice served as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Guam. As a senator, he introduced the law that first created an unofficial Guam delegate to the U.S. Congress.

Bordallo first ran for governor in the 1970 election, which was the first election in which the people of Guam were allowed to elect their governor. He ran with Senator Richard "Dick" Taitano against two other gubernatorial teams: Former governor Manuel Guerrero and runningmate Dr. Antonio C. (Tony) Yamashita, as well as attorney and former Speaker Joaquin Camacho Arriola and runningmate Vicente Bamba, retired judge and popular former senator. Bordallo-Taitano came in first in the primary election by a close margin over Guerrero-Yamashita, and then won the run-off election. However, due to the contentious Democratic campaign, Bordallo-Taitano lost in the general election to the Republican team of incumbents Carlos G. Camacho and Kurt S. Moylan. The election was significant for Bordallo, however, as he and Dick Taitano created Guam's first "grassroots" political organization throughout the villages.

Bordallo's wife, Madeleine Bordallo, also proved to be a passionate and untiring campaigner and helped draw many supporters to the organization. This organization and base of supporters would prove valuable when Bordallo ran again in the 1974 election. Madeleine Bordallo was most known for her humanitarian pursuits. She sponsored many civil cultural events including the Guam Symphony and a program for instructing children in the Suzuki method of violin.

Bordallo ran for governor for a second time in 1974, this time with Rudy Sablan. They were up against four other Democratic tickets: Manuel Guerrero and runningmate David D.L. Flores; Pedro C. Sanchez and Esteban U. Torres; and Joaquin Arriola and Ted Nelson. Dick Taitano was the manager of the Bordallo-Sablan campaign and broadened the organization he had set up in 1970. This organization proved decisive, and Bordallo-Sablan easily beat the other Democratic teams.

Bordallo-Sablan then went on to beat the Camacho-Moylan team, which had just barely beat the Republican rival team of Paul Calvo and Antonio Palomo in the primary. Calvo ran as a write-in candidate in the general election, drawing support from Camacho-Moylan, and Bordallo-Sablan won by less than 600 of the 22,000-plus votes.

Bordallo ran for a third time in 1983 with Eddie Reyes. He beat out Democrats Carl Gutierrez and John P. Aguon for the ticket and won office yet again.