Sablan, an Independent candidate, topped the nine-way historic congressional election with 2,474 votes up by 357 than Washington Representative Pete A. Tenorio’s 2,117 votes.
Anna Teregeyo, the vice chairwoman of the CNMI Republican Party, said Tenorio, who served as the islands’ resident representative to Washington for more than six years, graciously accepted defeat.
“There’s nothing we can do,” Teregeyo told reporters. “That’s the people’s choice. We wish the delegate-elect the best for the next two years.”
Sablan, a former two-term Democratic member of the CNMI House of Representatives who also served as special assistant to Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, is currently in Washington, D.C. attending the five-day briefing for newly-elected members of the U.S. Congress.
In an earlier interview, Sablan vowed to foster better relations with the federal government that had been strained after the Fitial administration took over and amid the controversy on the federalization issue.
He also committed to use the newly-formed delegate office to bring economic development to the islands.
“The islands’ economy is my priority…. We are an island in the middle of an ocean. We have limitations but we also have opportunities. We must advance our economy. And we must restore our good relationship with the U.S.,” he said.
House Majority Floor Leader Joseph N. Camacho, R-Saipan, accompanied him in his trip to the nation’s capital mainly aimed at familiarizing the new delegate-elect about his role as well as to educate members of the U.S. Congress about the CNMI.
Frances Sablan, the commission’s chairwoman, led the seven commissioners in manually tabulating absentee votes totaling 927 after 272 more were added to the 655 that were received on Nov. 4.
Of the 927 absentee votes, one was considered an over vote and two were blanks.
Independent candidate John Oliver Gonzales finished third with 1,855 votes.
Former Judge Juan T. Lizama came in fourth with 1,819 votes. He got the highest absentee votes at 208.
Sen. Luis Crisostimo, D-Saipan, who ran as an Independent candidate, placed 5th with 946 votes.
Former Tinian senator David Cing, the official delegate candidate of the Democratic Party, got only 307 votes.
Saipan and Tinian Municipal Council Member Felipe Atalig, also an Independent candidate, finished third to the last with 249 votes.
Korean-American businessman Chong Man Won got 230 votes and public school teacher John Henry Davis Jr. finished last with only 164 votes.
Governor Benigno R. Fitial, who did not publicly endorse any delegate candidate, lauded Sablan’s victory.
He said his administration is willing to work with Sablan to push for economic reforms on the islands.
The Washington Representative’ Office will be officially abolished on Jan. 12, 2009 or nine days after Sablan is sworn-in as the first delegate-elect of the CNMI to the U.S. House of Representatives.
His office will get an initial funding of $1 million from the federal government.
The delegate can introduce bills and participate in committee deliberations but he has no voting rights on the floor.
