2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
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Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
A "Homes First" plan to break ground on 6,000 new homes, condos, duplexes and apartments by 2030, by opening up government land, bringing roads, water, power and sewer to it, and setting deadlines for permits and inspections.
A digital permitting system so projects can be tracked "in real time", and a team to "cut through delay and restore accountability to the permitting process."
Reviving tourism, which Calvo calls the island's best short- and long-term opportunity, saying "over $1 billion since pre-pandemic time is missing from our economy."
A "G-Team" rapid-response unit under the lieutenant governor to fix potholes, broken lights, signs and guardrails, and to remove abandoned vehicles and dump sites.
Running government with what Calvo calls a private-sector mentality, with measurable performance standards for agencies.
Seeking relief from the federal Defense Base Act, which Calvo says treats Guam like a foreign country and raises construction insurance costs.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Senator in the Guam Legislature 2009-2017 and 2021-2023, and again since January 2025. Vice speaker since January 2025.
Minority whip in the 31st Legislature and minority leader in the 32nd and 33rd. Formerly second vice chair of the Republican Party of Guam.
Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in 2018 (with Ray Tenorio) and 2022 (with Felix Camacho). Both tickets lost.
Author of the bill that became Public Law 38-119. The legislature used it to fund a contract for AI bill-drafting services, which Ada terminated effective June 9 2026.
Won the August 1 2026 Republican primary with 5,179 votes (60.5%) to 3,367 for Blas-Okada, per the Guam Election Commission's certified results.
Raised $420,785 and spent $398,867 before the primary, per the Pacific Daily News's review of Commission filings.
Arguments in favor
Former governors say the ticket has sought their advice on governing as well as campaigning, and that their backing is a show of unity across generations of Republican leaders.
— Former Govs. Eddie Calvo and Felix Camacho, honorary chairs of the Ada-Calvo campaign, as reported by the Guam Daily Post
Ada is "the leader that Guam needs". At the Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce debate, Ada pointed to his legislative record, including cutting the business privilege tax from 5% to 4%.
— E.J. Calvo, Ada's running mate, at the campaign's launch; and Ada at the August 29 debate, as reported by the Guam Daily Post
Arguments against
The legislature's AI bill-drafting contract, made under the Republican leadership that includes Ada, was "an election-year political payday". Barnett says Ada, Speaker Blas and Sen. Sabrina Salas Matanane should be held accountable for "this breach of the public's trust."
— Sen. Chris Barnett (Democrat), as reported by Pacific Island Times
The Ada team's "legislative history does not match the seriousness required to lead an island with real crises and real needs."
— David J. Lubofsky, a retired government of Guam employee, in an opinion piece in Kandit News
What we couldn’t verify
The outcome of the legislature's Ethics Committee review of the AI bill-drafting contract, and how much was paid to the vendor.
General-election fundraising totals after the primary.
How the 6,000-unit housing goal would be paid for, beyond the local and federal grants the campaign has named.
"An honest, transparent and efficient administration that demands better value for every tax dollar," with the savings put toward cost-of-living relief, safety, education, infrastructure and health care.
Relief from rising costs in "food, in rent, in housing, in transportation", and wider access to health care.
Ending the meth crisis through stricter enforcement at the port, plus prevention and treatment.
More housing by investing in sewer and other basic infrastructure, expanding Guam Housing Corporation subsidies, and a build-your-own-home program with pre-approved plans.
Simpler, trackable permitting and procurement, and public schedules for school repairs so residents can see "which school, when."
Rebuilding Simon Sanchez High School as a priority, and a reliable bus system linking villages to jobs and colleges.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Senator since 2017. Speaker of the Guam Legislature 2021-2025, and acting speaker from September 2018 to January 2019.
Attorney, with a law degree from UCLA. Formerly an assistant professor at the University of Guam.
Won the August 1 2026 Democratic primary with 6,446 votes (47.8%), ahead of Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio's ticket (5,994) and Sen. Joe San Agustin's (1,050), per the Guam Election Commission's certified results.
Raised about $42,800 and spent $4,958 before the primary. The second-place Tenorio ticket spent $775,121, per the Pacific Daily News's review of Commission filings.
As speaker, opposed the governor's proposal to lease Eagles Field from the federal government for a new hospital.
In July 2026, voted against the Republican majority's motion to drop 49 floor amendments to the fiscal 2027 budget.
Won the August 1 2026 Democratic primary while spending about $4,958, per campaign reports covered by the Pacific Daily News.
Arguments in favor
Terlaje and Perez's "record shows actual work, actual oversight, actual courage, and actual accomplishments. They confront problems instead of hiding from them."
— David J. Lubofsky, a retired government of Guam employee who says he leans Republican nationally, in an opinion piece in Kandit News
The ticket is running against corruption and "special interests", offering "the truth, hard work and a commitment to Guam that cannot be bought".
— The Terlaje-Perez campaign, in its launch statement as reported by the Guam Daily Post
Arguments against
Construction of a new medical complex "could have already been underway if not for the actions of Speaker Terlaje". The governor says Terlaje blocked the no-cost lease of Eagles Field from the federal government and misled lawmakers about what would happen to the land. (Statement made in 2024, during the 37th Legislature.)
— Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero (Democrat), in a statement to Kandit News
The 49 floor amendments to the fiscal 2027 budget, which Terlaje fought to keep and which included spending Perez proposed, were "irresponsible": they totalled about $250 million when only $39 million was available.
— Sen. Chris Dueñas, Republican chair of the legislature's finance committee, as reported by the Guam Daily Post; Speaker Frank Blas Jr. cited the same totals
What we couldn’t verify
Whether Gov. Leon Guerrero will endorse the Democratic ticket. A published letter to the Guam Daily Post says she has withheld support while backing Democratic senatorial candidates, but no direct statement from the governor was found.
General-election fundraising totals after the primary.
How the ticket would pay for its housing subsidy and infrastructure proposals.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Guam elects its governor and lieutenant governor as a joint ticket: one vote covers both offices. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero is term-limited. Two tickets are on the November 3 2026 ballot, in this order on the Guam Election Commission's sample ballot: Republicans Vice Speaker Vicente "Tony" Ada with running mate E.J. Calvo, and Democrats Sen. Therese Terlaje with running mate Sen. Sabina Perez. There is also a write-in line. Both tickets won the August 1 2026 primaries, per the Commission's certified results: Ada-Calvo took 60.5% of the Republican vote over Speaker Frank Blas Jr. and Mary Okada; Terlaje-Perez took 47.8% of the Democratic vote over Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and Sen. Tina Muña Barnes (44.4%) and Sen. Joe San Agustin and Dwayne San Nicolas (7.8%). An independent ticket, Jeffrey Pleadwell and Charlie Hermosa, filed petitions, but the Commission did not ratify it: more than 400 signatures were for "Jeff" rather than Pleadwell's legal name, leaving it short of the 500 required, the Pacific Daily News reported. It is not on the ballot. Under the Organic Act of Guam, the winning ticket needs a majority of the votes cast. If neither ticket gets one, a runoff between the top two is held on the fourteenth day after the election, which would be November 17. Roster from the Guam Election Commission's sample ballot and certified primary results, cross-checked with the Guam Daily Post, Kandit News and Isla Public Media.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
The ballot in Guam also carries legislative seats and other territory offices that we do not cover. They are listed, with registration and early-voting dates and how the winner is decided, on the Guam page.