Former Gov. Carl Gutierrez and his running mate, Fred Bordallo, who landed third in the Aug. 25 primary, on Monday conceded the gubernatorial election to Lou Leon Guerrero-Joshua Tenorio team.
“Democracy is alive and well when we have hard-fought campaigns between competing ideas or plans to accomplish those ideas. Once the campaigning is over, however, one side is victorious, and we wholeheartedly respect the choice of our people and allow those elected to govern on the foundation of their vision,” the team said in a concession statement, congratulating the Democratic Party’s official standard bearer.
The Lou& Josh team won by a small margin over the second placer, Sen. Frank Aguon and Alicia Limtiaco.
“We trust their team will be committed to ensuring our campaign message, in spirit and in deed, within the Democratic platform going forward, including bringing Guam back to the very best of Guam again,” the statement said.
The Gutierrez-Bordallo team thanked their supporters “for their undying love and commitment.”
“My name and memory I leave to our people’s charitable speeches, to our Micronesian brothers and sisters who are an intrinsic part of who we are, my kapatids, the birthplace of my great-grandfather Frederico Gutierrez, born in Binondo, Manila, in 1825, and to the next generation. I have given my life to serve you; to better the lives of us all. We did not make it during this election, but it’s so much more than that. It’s not over. I’m not done. For the rest of my life I will continue to serve our people, and I will support anyone who is willing to do the same,” Gutierrez said.
“The traditions of the Bordallo and Underwood families from my grandfather, Baltazar J. Bordallo and great-grandfather, James Holland Underwood, have always been rooted in service to the people of Guam. I have been blessed with a loving family, my mother Annie, my dad, Fred, and siblings who encourage me to make a difference in the lives of those around me, and confront any challenge head on. I will continue to serve our island because the resilience of our people has always been the driving force for me to move forward,” Bordallo said.