Judith Teresita Perez Won Pat , (born December 6, 1949), also known as Judi Won Pat, is a Guamanian politician, teacher, and school administrator who served as the speaker of the Guam Legislature from 2009 to 2017. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

of Guam, served as the senator of the Guam Legislature from 1994 to 2003 and again from 2005 to 2017. Won Pat was the former sitting chairperson of the Committee on Education, Public Library and Women’s Affairs in the 32nd Guam Legislature.Guam Legislatur
''Legislative Committees''
Hagatna.

Early life and education

Won Pat was born on December 6, 1949, the youngest daughter of

Antonio Won Pat Antonio Borja Won Pat (December 10, 1908 – May 1, 1987) was a Guamanian politician and member of the Democratic Party of Guam. He served as the first Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1985. Early l ...

and Ana Salas Perez. Judith Won Pat's family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, because her father had been elected to serve as delegate to the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. She graduated from Montgomery Blair High School. After high school, she attended Montgomery College and attained an Associate of Arts in liberal arts with emphasis in political science. She graduated from

Columbia Union College Washington Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Takoma Park, Maryland. History Washington Adventist University was established in 1904 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Washington Training College. ...

with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Secondary Education. Judith Won Pat attained her Master of Education from the University of Guam and her Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the

University of San Diego The University of San Diego (USD) is a private Roman Catholic research university in San Diego, California. Chartered in July 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University (comprising the College for Men and Schoo ...

Political career

Guam 1977 Constitutional Convention

Authorized by Guam Public Law 13-202, the Territory of Guam held the

Guam Constitutional Convention of 1977 The Guam Constitutional Convention of 1977 was a constitutional convention that took place in Agana, Guam, in 1977.Guam Constitutional Convention 1977. ''Proceedings of the Guam Constitutional Convention 1977''. Agana, Guam: 1979. Authorization o ...

to provide a local framework for self-government. When Judith Won Pat was 27 years old, she served as the Sinajana delegate to the 1977 Guam Constitutional Convention. Judith Won Pat served as the chairperson of the Women Rights Committee, vice chairperson of the Education Committee and also served as a member on the Gubernatorial Powers, the Municipal Government, and Natural Resources Committees, respectively. All 32 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution on December 15, 1977.

Senator in the 23rd, 24th, 26th, 28th and 29th Guam Legislatures

Judith Won Pat-Borja first ran to serve as senator in the 23rd Guam Legislature in 1994. She has served in the 23rd, 24th, 26th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd and 33rd Guam Legislatures.Guam Election Commission
''Election Comparative Analysis Report 2012''
Hagatna, 2013. The 29th Guam Legislature had a bare majority of 8 Republican senators. After the passing of Republican Senator Antonio R. Unpingco, a special election was held on January 5, 2008, at which former Chief Justice Benjamin J.F. Cruz, a Democrat, was elected to fill the vacancy left by the late Senator Antonio R. Unpingco. After the special election, the Republican minority refused to allow a change in leadership to reflect its minority status. Early in the morning on March 7, 2008, the Democratic majority held session and appointed a new leadership for the Guam Legislature, with Judith T. Perez Won Pat serving as Guam's first woman speaker of the Guam Legislature. An opinion by Attorney General Alicia Limtiaco upheld the validity of legislation issued by the Guam Legislature under its new leadership.

Speaker of the Guam Legislature

Judith Won Pat has served as speaker in the 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd and 33rd Guam Legislatures. Speaker Won Pat was the sitting chairperson of the Committee on Education, Public Library and Women’s Affairs in the 32nd Guam Legislature.

Post-Guam Legislature

After Won Pat lost re-election she has stayed out of politics since 2017 to focus on her private life and worked as an Administrator at Guahan Academy Charter School from August 2019 to October 2021. In May 2022, Won Pat reentered the political scene and publicly announced her run to become Guam's next Congressional Delegate. She lost to Republican James Moylan.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Won Pat, Judith T.P. 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections Chamorro people Guamanian Democrats Guamanian people of Chinese descent Guamanian people of Spanish descent Guamanian women in politics Living people Members of the Legislature of Guam Speakers of the Legislature of Guam University of Guam alumni University of San Diego alumni 1949 births