{"id":1286,"date":"2020-02-18T12:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T17:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/raisethevote\/?p=1286"},"modified":"2020-02-12T10:30:14","modified_gmt":"2020-02-12T15:30:14","slug":"the-curious-case-of-guam-the-unincorporated-territorys-role-in-the-2020-primaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/raisethevote\/2020\/02\/18\/the-curious-case-of-guam-the-unincorporated-territorys-role-in-the-2020-primaries\/","title":{"rendered":"The Curious Case of Guam: The Unincorporated Territory\u2019s Role in the 2020 Primaries"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Guam, the southernmost island of the Mari\u00e5na island chain, is an unincorporated territory of the United States. Guam is home to approximately 160,000 people and its native, indigenous people are known as the CHamoru. Although Guam\u2019s residents are citizens of the US, they do not vote for president nor do they have any real representation at the national level, aside from a non-voting House delegate. The Organic Act of Guam<\/em>, which ended naval rule and implemented measures of self-government, established the island\u2019s local government after WWII. These measures include a 15-seat legislature, whose representatives are elected at-large and serve two-year terms, an executive branch with a Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and an independent judicial branch. Guam\u2019s territorial status shapes both the way in which the island participates in the presidential election and the issues that are relevant to its voters.<\/p>\n

On the island there are two main political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.<\/h3>\n

Although these parties greatly resemble their national counterparts, they do not entirely mirror them. In interviews with the author, chairs of each party observed that though both parties share the agenda of the respective national parties, slight ideological differences distinguish Guam\u2019s political parties from their national equivalents.[1]<\/a> For example, a 2018 bill to raise the business privilege tax by 25% received yes-votes from 5 out of 6 Republican senators, and no-votes from 6 out of 9 Democratic senators. However, history shows that the people of Guam have placed less focus on party affiliation or ideology and instead pay more attention to the individual characteristics or familial ties of a particular political candidate. Local Republican party chair, Jerry Crisostomo, explained in a personal interview that Guam\u2019s political environment is not necessarily philosophically-driven or issue-driven. Instead, it is driven by \u201cwho\u2019s running and how well they\u2019re known\u201d as well as \u201cwhat they have to offer to make life better for the average citizen.\u201d Former Democratic party chair, Judith Won Pat, in a personal interview, also echoed those sentiments, stating \u201cpeople want to know their candidates, they want to be able to rub shoulders with them, to approach them no matter where they are.\u201d This personal approach to politics is of course enabled by the island\u2019s relatively small geographic size, population, and strong sense of local culture.<\/p>\n

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Just as the local party-system resembles that of the United States, so too does the presidential primary process, which is separate from the local senatorial and gubernatorial primaries. Although the island does not have electors who vote for President, both the Democrat and Republican national parties allow the territory to participate in the selection of the party\u2019s presidential candidate by sending locally-elected representatives to their respective national conventions.<\/p>\n

The Republican party, which evolved from the Territorial Party, officially received its charter in 1968 and was primarily made up of the island\u2019s businessmen, many of whose families remain prominent in politics on Guam today. At the national convention, Guam is allotted a total of nine delegates, six of whom are elected and three automatic seats for party leaders (National Committeeman, National Committeewoman, & Party Chair). At the local biennial convention which will be on March 14th this year, local delegates from the island\u2019s 19 villages, who are elected by registered Republicans in their respective villages, elect these delegates and party leaders. Traditionally, the party allocated votes proportionally among candidates to \u201ccover all its bases,\u201d but this year, the party has already decided to cast all of its votes in support of President Trump, who also received all nine delegate votes in 2016. [2]<\/a><\/p>\n

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For the Democratic party, originally the Popular Party, the primary process differs slightly.<\/h3>\n

Guam sends a total of 12 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, with seven being elected at-large by Democrat voters and five automatic seats for party leaders (National Committeeman, National Committeewoman, Party Chair, Party Vice-Chair, and the non-voting House delegate). Delegates are elected by registered Democrats at an at-large election held by the local party in Hag\u00e5t\u00f1a, the island\u2019s capital. Delegate votes are allocated to candidates in proportion to their share of votes, subject to the party\u2019s standard 15% threshold.[3]<\/a> This year\u2019s caucus is tentatively set for May 2nd<\/sup>. In the 2016 primary, Hillary Clinton received seven out of twelve elected delegate votes from Guam.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

During Guam\u2019s local general elections in November, residents also participate in a straw poll for the US presidency.<\/h3>\n

Since 1984, this unofficial vote has accurately predicted the outcome of the national presidential election, except in 2016.[5]<\/a>\u00a0 Despite the lack of real participation in national elections, there is still increasing political interest and civic engagement.\u00a0 Several local organizations have recently taken charge by bringing issues closer to the youth and making politics more accessible. These organizations include the Young Democrats of Guam, the youth wing of the Democrat party, which aims to increase awareness about how political issues affect young people and to empower and magnify the youth vote, as well as university student organizations such as the Political Science Student Association, which promotes student involvement in politics.<\/p>\n

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The island\u2019s unresolved political status, however, remains the greatest obstacle to solving the many socio-economic problems that plague its people, including high levels of poverty, a high cost of living, and an increasing crime rate. As Crisostomo stated, the Republican party recognizes that \u201cdecolonization is needed and at the end of the day the relationship between Guam and the US needs to be truly defined going forward, as many issues are because of the current status we\u2019re in.\u201d[6]<\/a> The multi-faceted issue continues to make its way to the forefront of island politics. As Won Pat describes, \u201cnow that more of us are educated, learning about what\u2019s going on in the world, learning that we have certain rights, learning that things can be better for us, we\u2019re asking ourselves why we can\u2019t make that decision.\u201d[7]<\/a> Nevertheless, more work must be done to make the issue of decolonization one of importance to ordinary citizens. The island\u2019s lack of any meaningful vote in this year\u2019s high-stakes presidential election is a clear reminder of the need for a change in political status for the people of Guam.<\/p>\n