Speaker Benjamin Cruz, the financial watchdog in the legislature, is seeking to officially assume the role by running for public auditor—a position held by Doris Flores Brooks for nearly 20 years.
Cruz was the chief justice of Guam Supreme Court from 1999 to 2001 before entering politics. He was elected to the legislature in 2004.
"Accountability, fairness, and the truth have mattered to me my whole life—and we need those values at the Office of Public Accountability more now than ever,” Cruz said. “I will work with my colleagues to pass a budget that makes sense in these immensely difficult times, and then I will ask the People of Guam to trust me once more with their vote—this time in the upcoming special election for Public Auditor. People know that I believe government should work just as hard for the powerless as it does for the powerful. I believe a strong public auditor can help achieve that goal."
Flores-Brooks quit the Office of Public Accountability earlier this month to run for the Congressional seat.