Lou Leon Guerrero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lou Leon Guerrero
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| 9th Governor of Guam | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2019 |
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| Lieutenant | Josh Tenorio |
| Preceded by | Eddie Calvo |
| Senator of the Guam Legislature | |
| In office January 1, 2001 – January 1, 2007 |
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| In office January 2, 1995 – January 4, 1999 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lourdes Aflague Leon Guerrero
November 8, 1950 Guam |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jeffrey Cook |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Government House |
| Education | California State University, Los Angeles (BS) University of California, Los Angeles (MPH) University of Washington (GrDip) |
| Signature |  |
Lourdes Aflague "Lou" Leon Guerrero was born on November 8, 1950. She is an American politician and a former nurse and banking leader. Since 2019, she has been the ninth Governor of Guam.
Lou Leon Guerrero is a member of the Democratic Party. She is the first woman to serve as Governor of Guam. Before becoming governor, she was a senator in the Guam Legislature. She served there from 1995 to 1999 and again from 2001 to 2007. From 2007 to 2017, she was the president and CEO of the Bank of Guam.
She grew up in Guam and studied nursing in California. She worked as a nurse in both California and Guam. She even became the president of the Guam Nurses Association. In 2018, she ran for governor with Josh Tenorio as her running mate. They won the election. As governor, she has worked to raise the minimum wage in Guam. She also helped lead the territory's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was reelected for a second term in 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Lou Leon Guerrero was born in Guam. Her father, Jesus Sablan Leon Guerrero, started the Bank of Guam. Her mother was Eugenia Calvo Aflague Leon Guerrero. She has two brothers, Jesse and Anthony.
She went to high school at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam. After high school, she moved to Southern California for college and work. In 1973, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She got this degree from California State University, Los Angeles. Later, in 1979, she earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 2009, she also earned a master's degree from Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle, Washington.
Nursing Career
Lou Leon Guerrero started her career as a staff nurse. She worked at Santa Monica Hospital in Santa Monica, California. In 1980, she returned to Guam. She worked at Guam Memorial Hospital. She eventually became the hospital's assistant nursing director. After that, she worked at the Family Health Plan clinic. She was the Director of Operations there from 1990 to 1994.
In 1989, she was the president of the Guam Nurses Association. She spoke out against a bill that aimed to limit certain healthcare services on the island.
Early Political Career
Lou Leon Guerrero served as a senator in the Guam Legislature for several terms. She helped create the Healthy Futures Fund. This fund helps pay for medical care and cancer research in Guam. She also helped pass the Natasha Protection Act. This law controls public smoking.
Becoming a Senator (1995–1999)
Serving in the 23rd Guam Legislature
Lou Leon Guerrero first ran for senator in 1994. She won the election and started serving on January 2, 1995. During her first term, she helped create 18 public laws.
Serving in the 24th Guam Legislature
She ran for reelection in 1996 and won again. She started her second term in the 24th Guam Legislature. During this term, she helped create 6 public laws.
Running for Lieutenant Governor (1998)
In 1998, Lou Leon Guerrero ran for Lieutenant Governor of Guam. She was the running mate for Senator Thomas C. Ada. They ran together in the Democratic primary election. They placed second in the primary.
Returning to the Guam Legislature (2001–2007)
Serving in the 26th Guam Legislature
Leon Guerrero returned to public service in 2000. She ran for a seat in the 26th Guam Legislature. She won the election and started her new term. During this time, she helped create 5 public laws.
Serving in the 27th Guam Legislature
She ran for reelection in 2002 and won again. She served in the 27th Guam Legislature. As a member of the majority, she helped create 21 public laws.
Serving in the 28th Guam Legislature
In 2004, Leon Guerrero ran for reelection once more. She was elected to the 28th Guam Legislature. During this term, she wrote 27 bills, and 9 of them became public laws.
Business and Non-Profit Work
In 2007, Lou Leon Guerrero was named Guam's Women in Business Champion. She graduated from Pacific Coast Banking School in 2009. She became the chairwoman, CEO, and president of the Bank of Guam. She followed in the footsteps of her father and brother in this role.
In 2011, she was appointed as a director of BankGuam Holding Company. She also became a director at Teleguam Holdings, LLC. Guam Business Magazine named her Guam’s 2010 Executive of the Year.
Helping Non-Profit Groups
Since 2009, Lou Leon Guerrero has been the Board Chair for Guampedia. She also helped start the Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce. She served as its first president.
Elections
Running for Governor in 2018
In February 2017, Lou Leon Guerrero announced she would run for Governor of Guam. She chose Joshua Tenorio to be her running mate. They faced three other Democratic teams in the primary election. They won the primary with 32% of the votes.
In the general election, Leon Guerrero was elected as Guam's first female governor. She and Josh Tenorio won with 50.7% of the votes.
Running for Governor in 2022
Lou Leon Guerrero ran for reelection in 2022. Josh Tenorio was again her running mate. They won reelection with 55.49% of the votes.
Governor of Guam (2019–Present)
Lou Leon Guerrero became the 9th Governor of Guam on January 7, 2019. Her inauguration ceremony was held at the University of Guam.
Important Policy Changes
Raising the Minimum Wage
In September 2019, Governor Leon Guerrero supported a plan to raise Guam's minimum wage. She signed a bill in October 2019 to increase the minimum wage in steps. The first step raised it to $8.75 per hour in March 2020. Later, the minimum wage was raised to $9.25 an hour.
Responding to Rising Costs
In 2022, the cost of living in Guam increased. To help people, Governor Leon Guerrero worked to create a monthly $100 credit for power users. This helped families with their electricity bills.
Payments for World War II Survivors
In 2019, a bill was introduced to speed up payments to survivors of World War II events on Guam. Governor Leon Guerrero signed this bill into law on January 3, 2020. The first payments were given out at a ceremony on January 29, 2020. By February, many survivors had received their money.
Managing the COVID-19 Pandemic
"Path to Half" Vaccination Goal
On March 15, 2021, Governor Leon Guerrero announced the "Path to Half" vaccination campaign. Her goal was to vaccinate half of Guam's adult population by May 1. This goal was met three days early.
Personal Life
Lou Leon Guerrero is married to attorney Jeff Cook. They have two children, Joaquin and Mariana. She also has seven grandchildren.
