Lorenzo I. De Leon Guerrero
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo I. De Leon Guerrero (January 25, 1935 – October 6, 2006) was the third elected Governor of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
until 1982. He chaired the Northern Mariana Islands Republican Party from 1983–1985. He was elected governor in 1989 and served from 1990–1994, when he was succeeded by Froilan Tenorio
. Guerrero was the vice president of the Saipan Shipping Company from 1973 to 1976 and worked for the Philippine, Micronesia and the Orient Navigation Company for over a decade. He owned and managed the Commonwealth Maritime Agency in Saipan from 1980 until 1989, when he won the governorship.
In 1997, Guerrero unsuccessfully ran for Governor with running mate
, Dr. Rita Inos
, who became the first woman to run for Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
at the time.
Guerrero died on October 6, 2006, after a long illness. A state funeral was held. Guerrero, the first of the CNMI's elected governors to pass away, was survived by his wife, ten children, and about forty grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Biography
Guerrero was born on Saipan. Guerrero first held elective office in 1972 when he took office as a senator in the Northern Mariana Islands' legislature at the time. He served in that body until it was replaced by the Commonwealth Legislature in 1980, at which time he served as the President of the Northern Mariana Islands SenateNorthern Mariana Islands Senate
The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The Senate consists of nine senators representing three senatorial districts , each a multi-member constituency with three senators.In the November 2007 elections, the three senators up...
until 1982. He chaired the Northern Mariana Islands Republican Party from 1983–1985. He was elected governor in 1989 and served from 1990–1994, when he was succeeded by Froilan Tenorio
Froilan Tenorio
Froilan Cruz Tenorio was the fourth elected Governor of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Elected in 1993, he served one term, leaving office in 1998...
. Guerrero was the vice president of the Saipan Shipping Company from 1973 to 1976 and worked for the Philippine, Micronesia and the Orient Navigation Company for over a decade. He owned and managed the Commonwealth Maritime Agency in Saipan from 1980 until 1989, when he won the governorship.
In 1997, Guerrero unsuccessfully ran for Governor with running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
, Dr. Rita Inos
Rita Inos
Rita Hocog Inos, EdD, was a Northern Mariana Island educator, activist and politician. Inos was the former Education Commissioner of the Northern Marianas school system and served on the Northern Marianas College Board of Regents...
, who became the first woman to run for Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has a self governing government consisting of a locally elected governor, Lieutenant Governor and the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The current Lieutenant Governor is Eloy Inos, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created when...
at the time.
Guerrero died on October 6, 2006, after a long illness. A state funeral was held. Guerrero, the first of the CNMI's elected governors to pass away, was survived by his wife, ten children, and about forty grandchildren and great-grandchildren.