(CNSNews) – In the first Congressional race called in the 2022 general election, the United States Territory of Guam elected its first Republican non-voting delegate since 1993, as Republican James Moylan defeated Democrat Judi Won Pat by 1,648 votes.
Moylan captured 52.19% of the vote, or 17,075 votes, while Won Pat received 47.15% of the total vote, or 15,427 votes.
Moylan will become just the second Republican delegate for Guam since Congress created the seat in 1972.
Since it is not a state, Guam is permitted only one delegate to represent the territory in the House of Representatives. However, delegates representing territories do not have voting privileges, which traditional members representing states do.
The District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands each have one delegate, while Puerto Rico is represented by a resident commissioner.
While Guam elected a Republican delegate in this year’s midterm elections, Guam’s Democrat Governor Lou Leon Guerrero won re-election, and the Democrats held control of the Guam Legislature.
The Office of the Delegate of the Territory of Guam was established on April 10, 1972 with the passage of the 1972 Guam Congressional Representation Act.