Lourdes Aflague "Lou" Leon Guerrero is a Guamanian politician, former banking executive, and nurse who became the first female governor of Guam upon her inauguration in 2019. Born in 1950, she began her career in healthcare, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles. She worked as a nurse in both California and Guam, eventually serving as the president of the Guam Nurses Association, where she actively opposed efforts to outlaw abortion on the island.
Leon Guerrero transitioned into public service in 1994 when she was elected to the Guam Legislature. She served from 1995 to 1999, and after an unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor in 1998, she returned to the legislature from 2001 to 2007. Following her legislative career, she entered the private sector, serving as the president and CEO of the Bank of Guam from 2007 to 2017.
In 2018, Leon Guerrero returned to politics, launching a successful gubernatorial campaign alongside running mate Josh Tenorio. As governor, she has focused on economic and social policies, signing legislation to raise Guam's minimum wage and managing the territory's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also maintained her advocacy for reproductive rights, vetoing legislative attempts to restrict abortion access. She was reelected to a second term as governor in 2022.
