Michael Franklin Quitugua San Nicolas (born January 30, 1981) is a Guamanian Democratic Party politician, who served as the delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for from 2019 to 2023.Office of U.S. Congressman Michael F.Q. San Nicolas. Representative San Nicolas Sworn into 116th Congress . Washington, 3 January 2019 San Nicolas was elected by his colleagues in the 116th United States Congress to serve as vice chair of the United States House Committee on Financial Services. Rather than run for reelection in 2022, San Nicolas ran and lost in the Democratic primary of the 2022 Guamanian gubernatorial election. From 2013 to 2019, San Nicolas served as senator in the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th Guam legislatures.
Early life San Nicolas, born January 30, 1981, in Tamuning, Guam. He is the eldest son of Miguel Borja San Nicolas and Eva Quitugua San Nicolas of Talofofo, Guam, both long-time educators at the Guam Department of Education. His paternal grandfather Enrique Santos San Nicolas served in the Guam Congress and his maternal grandfather is former Speaker of the Guam Legislature Franklin Joseph Arceo Quitugua. He is the great grandson of Ignacio Perez Quitugua, who served in the 1st to 9th Guam Legislatures.KUAM, Michael San Nicolas, Hagatna, July 2012.
San Nicolas attended Father Dueñas Memorial School, John F. Kennedy High School, and Southern High School, graduating from the latter. San Nicolas met his future wife, Kathryn Santos Ko, while attending John F. Kennedy High School. They married in 2005, and together have two children.
In November 1998, President Bill Clinton visited Guam and delivered a speech to a large rally gathered at Adelup.James Bennet. Guam Extends Big Welcome to Clinton New York Times. New York, 24 November 1998. As a youth speaker, San Nicolas introduced President Clinton to the attendees.Josh Tyquiengco. VOTE 2012 - The Challengers - Michael F.Q. San Nicolas. Hagatna, 13 July 2012.
San Nicolas studied history at the University of Guam. While attending the university, he served as Speaker of the 22nd Guam Youth Congress from 1998 to 2000 and elected by his peers as President of the Student Government Association in 2002–2003. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guam in 2004.
Prior to running for the legislature in 2012, San Nicolas had worked as Chief of Staff for Senator Carmen Fernandez in the 27th Guam LegislatureJohn I Borja. Sen. Michael San Nicolas announces run for Congress. Pacific Daily News. Hagatna, 22 November 2017. and subsequently as Assistant Vice President and Financial Adviser at the Bank of Guam.
Guam legislature Elections San Nicolas ran for senator in the Guam Legislature as a Democrat in 2012. He placed 8th in the primary election with 6,570 votes and advanced to the general election, where he placed 5th with 16,625 votes, winning a seat in the incoming 32nd Guam Legislature. Page 62 San Nicolas served three consecutive terms in the Guam Legislature Page 77 before becoming Guam's At-Large Congressional Delegate in 2019. ElectionGuam LegislaturePrimary Rank (Votes)General Rank (Votes)Result 2012 32nd Guam Legislature 8 (6,570) 5 (16,625) Elected 2014 33rd Guam Legislature 5 (5,974) 10 (16,738) Re-elected Page 65 2016 34th Guam Legislature 2 (9,414) 2 (19,686) Re-elected
Committee leadership San Nicolas served as Chairman of a number of committees during his tenure in the Guam Legislature, including the Aviation, Ground Transportation, Regulatory Concerns and Future Generations in the 32nd Guam Legislature,32nd Guam Legislature. Legislative Committees, Hagatna. the Committee on Finance & Taxation, General Government Operations, and Youth Development in the 33rd Guam Legislature,33rd Guam Legislature. Legislative Committees, Hagatna. the Committee on Rules in the first year of the 34th Guam Legislature, and the Committee on General Government Operations and Federal, Foreign, & Regional Affairs in the 34th Guam Legislature.34th Guam Legislature. Legislative Committees, Hagatna. Guam LegislatureTermPositionCommittee 32nd Guam Legislature 2013-2015 Chairman Committee on Aviation, Ground Transportation, Regulatory Concerns and Future Generations 33rd Guam Legislature 2015-2017 Chairman Committee on Finance & Taxation, General Government Operations, and Youth Development 34th Guam Legislature 2017 Chairman Committee on Rules 2017-2019 Chairman Committee on General Government Operations and Federal, Foreign, & Regional Affairs
Actions taken in the Guam legislature Repealing pay increases for elected and appointed officials After the 2014 general election acting Governor Ray Tenorio introduced a bill to increase salaries of elected and appointed officials retroactively. The bill was passed by the legislature in San Nicolas' absence.Guam Legislature, Bill No. 1 (8-S) Voting Sheet, Hagatna, Guam. In December, San Nicolas introduced a bill to repeal the raises,Guam Legislature, Bill No. 435-32 (COR), Hagatna, Guam. which failed passage.Guam Legislature, Bill No. 435-32 (COR) Voting Sheet, Hagatna, Guam. Starting later that month, San Nicolas began to donate the pay increase to local charities.Robert Q. Tupaz. Lawmakers got retro pay. Guam Daily Post. Tamuning, Guam.Shawn Raymundo. San Nicolas donates pay raise to hospital volunteers. Pacific Daily News. Hagatna, Guam.
San Nicolas introduced a bill in 2015 to repeal the elected and appointed officials' pay raises, among other related matters.Guam Legislature, Bill No. 4-33 (LS), Hagatna, Guam. The bill was enacted, but the provision repealing the pay raises was removed before passage.Guam Legislature, Public Law 33-3, Hagatna, Guam. San Nicolas revisited repealing the pay raises for elected and appointed officials by introducing a new bill later in the year, but it failed passage in November.Guam Legislature, Bill No. 204-33 (COR) Voting Sheet, Hagatna, Guam. The Guam Legislature reconsidered and passed the new bill in January 2016.Guam Legislature, Bill No. 204-33 (COR) Voting Sheet, Hagatna, Guam. Governor Calvo vetoed the new bill. An attempted override of the new bill failed.Guam Legislature, Bill No. 204-33 (COR) Override Voting Sheet, Hagatna, Guam.
Senator San Nicolas introduced a bill in 2017, which would reduce the salaries of elected and appointed officials that had been raised by Public Law 32-208.Guam Legislature. Bill No. 11-34 (COR). Hagatna. A similar measure, which affected only the salaries of the attorney general, the public auditor, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and members of the Guam Legislature was introduced days prior was passed by the legislature in March, vetoed by Governor Calvo, then was overridden by the legislature in May.Guam Legislature. Guam Public Law 34-9, Hagatna, Guam.
Federal affairs In May 2014, San Nicolas introduced a resolution to request that Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo introduce legislation to the United States Congress to allow government of Guam employees to be covered under Social Security.News Release, San Nicolas, Won Pat, Resolution Calls on Congresswoman to Seek SS Coverage for DC GovGuam Employees, Pacific News Center, Hagatna, 9 May 2014. In June, the resolution passed with the unanimous support of the Guam Legislature.News Release, San Nicolas: Social Security Resolution Now With "Our Able Congresswoman to See It Through", Pacific News Center, Hagatna, 17 June 2014. In April 2015, Senator San Nicolas met with professionals in the Social Security Administration and the Staff Director of Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Social Security to secure a path to providing Social Security benefits to government of Guam workers.Staff. Senator San Nicolas Meets with Social Security Administration to Move Retirement Reform Forward. Pacific News Center. Hagatna, 21 April 2015.
Senator San Nicolas introduced Resolutions No. 63-34 (COR), 64-34 (COR), and 65-34 (COR) in 2017, which each seek to improve Section 30 tax collections, which were adopted.Guam Legislature. Bill No. 63-34 (COR) Hagatna.Guam Legislature. Bill No. 64-34 (COR) Hagatna.Guam Legislature. Bill No. 65-34 (COR) Hagatna.
In 2017, San Nicolas introduced Resolution No. 215-34 (COR), which requests the Federal Trade Commission to review the trade practices and market concentration in Guam's fuel market,Guam Legislature. Resolution No. 215-34 (COR) Hagatna.Pacific Daily News. Senator: FTC should review Guam fuel market Hagatna. which passed unanimously.Guam Legislature. Voting Record Resolution No. 215-34 (COR) Hagatna.
Other initiatives In March 2014, San Nicolas introduced a bill to allow foster children to be included in the government of Guam's group health insurance, expanding their treatment options.Louella Lousinio, Foster kids health insurance pushed, Marianas Variety, Tamuning, 27 March 2014. On October 3, the bill was passed by the Guam Legislature.Clynt Ridgell, Maternity Ward Bill Passes Along With All Other Bills That Were Voted On, Pacific News Center, Hagatna, 3 October 2014.
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives Elections In November 2017, San Nicolas announced his intention to become the 2018 general election candidate of the Democratic Party of Guam to serve as the Guam Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 116th U.S. Congress. He defeated eight-term incumbent Guam Congressional Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo in the Democratic primary election in August by 3.4% of the vote, advancing to the general election in November.Guam Election Commission. 2018 Primary Election Results , Hagatna, 26 August 2018. He defeated Republican Party candidate Doris F. Brooks in the General Election in November.John Borja, Sen. Michael San Nicolas announces run for Congress, Pacific Daily News, Hagatna, 18 November 2018.
In 2020, San Nicolas was re-elected. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guam cancelled party primaries and all qualified candidates appeared on the November 3 general election ballot. San Nicolas came in first in a three-way race against former Guamanian delegate to Congress Democrat Robert A. Underwood and Republican territorial senator Wil Castro, but did not win an outright majority. In the November 17 runoff, San Nicolas defeated Underwood earning more than 59% of the vote.
In February 2024, San Nicolas announced his candidacy for delegate in the November 2024 election. In primary election San Nicolas would challenge Ginger Cruz, environmental activist David Lotz and senator Amanda Shelton.
ElectionCongressPrimaryGeneralRunoffResults 2018 United States House of Representatives 12,456 19,193 — Elected 2020 United States House of Representatives — 13,000 10,467 Re-elected
Tenure San Nicolas was sworn in as Guam's Congressional Delegate to the 116th U.S. Congress on January 3, 2019.Gaynor Daleno. Guam's delegate-elect joining Hispanic caucus. Guam Daily Post. Tamuning, 19 November 2018. In March 2021, after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested that Guam was a foreign country, San Nicolas brought members of the Guam National Guard to Greene's office.
Leadership On May 8, 2019, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee of the 116th Congress, announced that San Nicolas was elected to serve as Vice Chair of the House Financial Services Committee.House Financial Services Committee. Waters Announces San Nicolas as Financial Services Committee Vice Chair, Washington. 8 May 2019.Gaynor D. Daleno. San Nicolas scores key role in committee that oversees banks , Tamuning. 9 May 2019Louella Losinio. San Nicolas elected US House financial panel vice chair, Tamuning. 10 May 2019.
Committee assignments San Nicolas was assigned to the following committees and subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives: Committee on Financial Services