As of Friday midnight, Whipps had garnered almost 75 percent of the total votes cast and was leading the senatorial race.
Prior to the presidential primary, he had not intended to run for office. He had committed his efforts to support his father, Senate Presidential Surangel Whipps, Sr., in the presidential race. But Whipps Sr. could only place third in the four-way race.After the primary, a significant number of his father’s supporters asked Whipps Jr. to get into the senatorial race and run as a write-in candidate.With little over a month left before Election Day, Whipps Jr. and his supporters created what could be the best organized and well-planned political campaign ever seen in Palau. Within a short time frame, they managed to convince over 6,000 Palauan voters to “write in” Whipps Jr.Palauan voters interviewed by this reporter said they voted for Whipps Jr. because he was sincere during his campaign.“He was very frank during his campaign — I believe he will do what he pledged to do,” a voter said.According to another voter, Whipps Jr. “is down-to-earth and despite his family’s wealth, he remains with us — not aloof.”“He is one of those people you can’t seem to forget,” another voter said. “He has a big heart and that is all he needs. He is certainly the real people’s choice.”Other voters called him “Oba-Surangel,” adding that Whipps Jr. is their “Berrak” — a Palauan money of significant value.“The United States have Barak Obama,” a voter said. “We have ‘Berrak el Oba-Surangel.’ Junior is of great value to us — an asset we have invested in the Senate.”
