| Madeleine Z. Bordallo | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Guam's At-large district |
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| In office January 3, 2003 – present |
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| Preceded by | Robert Underwood |
| 6th Lieutenant Governor of Guam | |
| In office January 2, 1995 – January 3, 2003 |
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| Governor | Carl T.C. Gutierrez |
| Preceded by | Frank Blas |
| Succeeded by | Kaleo Moylan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 31, 1933 Graceville, Minnesota |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Ricardo Bordallo (widowed) |
| Residence | Tamuning, Guam |
| Alma mater | College of St. Catherine |
| Occupation | broadcaster |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Madeleine Mary Zeien Bordallo (born May 31, 1933) is the Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives.
She was the first woman ever to serve as Guam's Delegate, Guam's first female Lieutenant Governor (from 1995 to 2003), Guam's first female candidate for Governor (in 1990), and the first female Democrat elected to the Legislature of Guam. Her 1990 campaign also made her the first non-Chamorro gubernatorial candidate in Guam.[1] As the wife of Ricky Bordallo, she was also the First Lady of Guam from 1975 to 1978 and 1983 to 1986. In January 2012, Republican Guam Senator Frank Blas Jr. announced he will challenge Bordallo in the upcoming November election for her delegate seat.[2]
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Madeleine Mary Zeien was born in Graceville, Minnesota to a military family and grew up on Guam after her father was stationed there. She attended St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana and the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. Bordallo was a television host and presenter for KUAM-TV on the island of Guam during the 1950s and 1960s.
Bordallo was married to Ricardo Bordallo, who served as Governor of Guam from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1987. While serving as first lady, she worked to emphasize the arts in the classroom and to increase awareness of the local Chamorro culture. Bordallo was a member of the Guam Legislature on two different occasions, serving from 1981 to 1982 and again from 1986 to 1994. During the 1988 U.S. presidential election, Bordallo was a member of Guam's uncommitted delegation to the 1988 Democratic National Convention.[3]
Mrs. Bordallo was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Guam in 1990, following the death of her husband. Ping Duenas ran as Bordallo's running mate for lieutenant governor in the 1990 gubernatorial election.[4][5]
In 1994, she ran alongside Carl T.C. Gutierrez on the Democratic ticket and was elected Lieutenant Governor of Guam, serving from 1995 to 2002. In this role, she worked to promote tourism and environmentalism.
In 2002, as Bordallo reached her term limit and as Delegate Robert Underwood vacated his seat and attempted to run for governor, she campaigned for and was elected as a Democrat to the House, serving from January 2003 to the present, and is the first woman to represent Guam in Congress. She is one of six non-voting delegates to the House of Representatives. While in Congress, she has devoted herself to economic issues and has helped to pass legislation that aids small businesses on Guam. She has also been involved in military issues.
In April 2008, Bordallo apologized after an investigative report by the Pacific Daily News revealed that she and Senator Jesse Lujan both claimed to have degrees on their official biographies and resumes when they had not graduated from college.[6] Bordallo was interviewed on Stephen Colbert's The Colbert Report on April 26, 2007, as part of its "Better Know a Protectorate" segment for Guam. The interview was repeated on April 30, 2008.
| United States House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by Robert Anacletus Underwood |
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Guam's At-large congressional district 2003–present |
Incumbent |
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