As of 11:30 p.m., San Nicolas had 8,046 or 59% of the votes cast while Underwood had 5,571 or 41%.
As the results were released, for 54 of the 67 polling precincts, Underwood decided to concede.
Underwood called a press conference to announce: “As trends continue on, it is pretty obvious that Delegate San Nicolas will prevail in this runoff election. I want to congratulate Delegate San Nicolas on his victory and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Underwood doesn’t have plans for what’s next, but added he’s looking at public service. “That’s what gives me a sense of value and I always felt whatever skills I have and whatever talents I have…we should always put them to use on behalf of the people.”
San Nicolas responded: “We await final results but extend the utmost respect to Dr. Underwood, his wife Dr. Nerissa, and the Underwood campaign as we await official outcomes.”
In this pandemic, the Guam Election Commission process of counting ballots has been slowed by the need to limit the number of people allowed at the Election Return Center at the University of Guam Calvo Field House.
Voting day for Guam’s next congressional delegate on Tuesday began slowly but moved steadily in the northern and central areas of Guam.
San Nicolas was the top vote-getter in the general election with 13,000 or 45.9% of votes cast. However, Guam law requires the winning candidate to receive 50% plus one vote of the total number of votes for the race. Underwood received 9,300 or 32.87% of the votes.
Republican Sen. Wil Castro, who came in third, had confirmed he would vote for Underwood in the runoff election.
Guam Election Commission officials on Sunday stated about $365,000 was available for the congressional delegate runoff election.
Camps supporting their respective candidate sat outside the gates of polling places and waved at motorists passing by, regardless of whether they were heading in to vote.
With only two candidates to choose from, voting proceeded quicker than in the general election, said one official at F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School, which served as one of the northern polling sites. A few cars proceeded briskly through the curbside voting tent set up along the school driveway while voters were seen regularly entering and leaving the precincts as the clock approached lunch hour.
Jun Barba and his wife said they experienced no issues voting Tuesday at F.B. Leon Guerrero, with the process being easy.
The quicker pace was certainly welcomed by Mangilao voter Danny San Nicolas, who said voting in the general election “took forever.” Danny San Nicolas voted at George Washington High School.
“I just can’t wait until the result is done,” Danny San Nicolas said. “I’m pretty sure everybody is anxious right now because it’s just the last two people that people are depending on right now.”
Fellow Mangilao voter William Sampson said he had difficulty choosing a candidate but ultimately made his choice by looking at past accomplishments. Sampson also voted at George Washington, and both he and Danny San Nicolas said they voted for incumbent Michael San Nicolas.
But having also voted the same way during the general election, Sampson said he sees the runoff election as a “waste of money.”
“If you look at the vote, the way that tally was, why do you have to have the 50%+1 (vote)?” Sampson said, referring to the threshold needed to have won the congressional candidacy without a runoff. “Why do we have to waste money on the (runoff) election? We could just save that money and add that to the economy.”
Underwood said he spent the day visiting each polling site on the island, beginning at John F. Kennedy High School in the morning.
“Our supporters are enthusiastic and excited about today, and their energy is infectious. I’m as optimistic about this vote as I always am on Election Day. The people are going to decide who they believe will better represent them in Washington, D.C. I leave it in their good hands to determine the course of our future. It’s how it should be, and I respect the process,” Underwood said.
Michael San Nicolas, in a social media post on Facebook thanking his supporters, stated he and his office did their best.
“We did our best to work and produce as much as we could for the people, even against the same negative energies trying to load us up and slow us down seemingly every day,” San Nicolas wrote in part.
“And if you will so have us with your vote, we will carry on in your service,” he added.
