By Troy Torres
Guam's voters re-elected Michael San Nicolas to Congress by a landslide.
Mr. San Nicolas received nearly 60 percent of the vote from the unofficial tally of all 67 precincts.
He received 10,326 votes against Robert Underwood, who received only 6,996 votes.
Changed political landscape
Mr. San Nicolas's re-election has changed the face of Guam politics, which always has been a retail sport. The congressman was outspent 10 to one by his opponent, and did not have a concerted get out the vote drive. He relied on social media for the bulk of his campaign, indicating a tectonic shift in the political landscape that may translate in future elections for other local offices.
The congressman also ran very few ads, none of which criticized or so much as mentioned his opponent. By contrast, Mr. Underwood's campaign focused almost completely on what it considered to be shortfalls in San Nicolas's record and character.
Mr. San Nicolas told Kandit News the week prior to the runoff election that he hoped politics could change and that voters could reward clean campaigns.
The voters certainly heeded that call.
