Guam - Rumors have swirled for months and today they were confirmed.  Lieutenant Governor Mike Cruz and Senator Jim Espaldon formally announced their candidacy for Adelup. Supporters gathered to hear the announcement at their headquarters in Anigua.

An invitation to the event was posted earlier this week on Facebook.

Current Governor Felix Camacho was on hand to vow his support and metaphorically pass the torch, saying, "In every age there comes a time when a leader must come forward to meet the needs of the hour, now is time.  Cruz and Espaldon will rise to that time."

Cruz credits his mother with giving him the final push to take the plunge, saying, "I am going to take my mother's instructions and I am going to take that banner, that flag, because my mom was never driven by position but she was always driven by purpose I will take that forward."

The gubernatorial hopefuls took the opportunity to make unofficial announcement about the Guam Memorial Hospital, with Cruz saying, "We will hopefully receive full accreditation from the Joint Commission."  The lieutenant governor added that he and Senator Espaldon have discussed running together for the past year and a half.

The senator then took the podium and revealed he was at first hesitant to join the race, with Espaldon announcing, "To make a decision to run this level of government is a very heavy burden."

Today's announcement means a Republican primary, set for September 4, is certain. The next question for Guam voters may be whether or not a Democratic primary will be necessary, as well.