Early and personal life
Cruz was born on September 13, 1954, to parents, Teresa Aguon Cruz and Francisco Taijeron Cruz.[2] He was raised in nearby Anigua, Guam, and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Tamuning in 1972.[2] Cruz married Marie Duenas Mendiola, with whom he has three children, Mia Janelle, Jonathan and Jude. His father-in-law, the late Thomas Flores Mendiola, served as the Commissioner of Agana (the predecessor office of the present-day Mayor of Hagåtña) from 1973 until 1981.[3]
Career
Cruz worked for the Government of Guam for approximately 25 years until his retirement in 1996.[2]
John A. Cruz was first elected Mayor of Hagåtña in November 2004 and took office in 2005, succeeding outgoing Mayor Felix Ungacta. He won re-election in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.[1]
During his tenure as mayor, Cruz has overseen the completion of a series of flood mitigation projects by FEMA, repairs to the Hagåtña Bridge, and the opening of the Guam Museum.[2] He also relocated the mayor's office to the former Guam Mass Transit Authority (GMTA) building.[2]
Cruz, a member of the Republican Party, was unopposed in seeking a fifth term in 2020, earning all but 14 of the 221 votes cast.[1] In 2016, when seeking a fourth term, Cruz won the Hagåtña Republican mayoral primary on August 27, 2016, with 141 votes, defeating his only opponent, Jovyna San Agustin, who received 84 votes.[4] As in 2020, he was unopposed in the 2016 mayoral general election.[5][6]