by Krystal Paco

Guam - It's been more than a year long battle, but Guam Federation of Teachers union member Carol Somerfleck may finally get what she's wanted: to sit as president of the union. Her Facebook status Saturday read "Just received notice from the Department of Labor that Matt Rector has withdrawn from the election".

Back in January, it was announced that a new election for president of the GFT will have to be held before May 15. It was part of an agreement between the GFT and the U.S. Department of Labor. The upcoming runoff followed complaints filed by Somerfleck, who ran for president of the union against Rector last February. The union maintained that it unintentionally left out of its election mailer to members that they would be able to vote at the GFT office in the event their polling site was not open.

According to USDOL's investigation, several polling sites were not open during the February election and members were not notified they could not vote at the union's office in Mangilao. The May election was supposed to be held under the supervision of the secretary of labor.

Rector has not returned any of KUAM's phone call or replied to any of our e-mail messages since last week regarding why he might not be participating in the upcoming election. Somerfleck also has likewise not returned our calls or e-mails.

Rector is no stranger to controversy, as the GFT president currently has a case moving through the Superior Court of Guam. In February 2010 he was arrested by GPD Criminal Investigation Division agents on two counts of unsworn falsification. The charges stemmed from his failure to disclose a burglary misdemeanor conviction when he applied for gun and concealed firearms permits with the Guam Police Department.

He also didn't disclose the conviction when he ran for senator and when he applied for a job as a teacher with the Department of Education. In January 2010 he resigned from the Guam Legislature.