Heinz optimistic and gracious

Independent gubernatorial candidate Heinz Hofschneider remained gracious and thankful to his supporters despite the commanding lead taken by opponents Gov. Eloy Inos and Ralph Torres last Friday night at his camp headquarters in Chalan Kanoa.

“If the people decides that’s the way it is… then we have to be strong and accept their will,” he said in an interview more than two-thirds through last Friday’s counting.

He pointed to the 2,000 absentees vote results that have yet to be counted.

“If we stay within a reasonable number to offset that from the off-island voters, then we still feel optimistic about our chance,” he said.

In the end, the Commonwealth Election Commission’s unofficial results showed that that Inos-Torres garnered a total of 6,547 votes, while Hofschneider-Ray Yumul got 4,948.

A large crowd gathered under tents set up around Heinz-Yumul headquarters. With results being broadcasted on live TV, most of the crowd stayed focused on the screen most of the night. Even children appeared caught up in anticipating the results, with a crowd of them sitting nearer the broadcast screens.

Cheers and yells shot through when Heinz won Precincts 3-A and 3-B.

When results were at 3,777-to-2,803 votes in favor of Inos, one supporter said to another, “We’re still gonna catch up.”

Hard rain fell on the camp halfway through counting. As Inos’ lead remained steady, the supporting crowd noticeably thinned but most remained.

Hofschneider called the crowd’s persistent support “extremely faithful” and “humbling.”

“I have a responsibility to take that in, and keep it in your heart forever because thousands of people believe in you, and you need to be always mindful of these people sticking it out, following us, and voting for us,” he said.

‘Content’

With the counting done, Hofschneider spoke to supporters, along with running mate Ray Yumul. The night ended with an unofficial 1,599-vote difference in favor of the Inos-Torres team.

Despite this, Hofschneider took the chance to “rally the troops,” be thankful, and look forward to the next four years.

“I am so proud that we have awakened our people. Unfortunately, there are a few more people in our community that do not want to change,” he told the crowd.

He said he was proud of picking Yumul as his running mate. He said they would both keep their supporters in their hearts.

The two are “indebted forever,” he said, to the work that people from the committee to elect to their volunteers put in every single day.

“This is politics and the will of the people. Even though we disagree with that will, and even if we do not like it or want to accept the will of the people… I want to tell you my heart is content,” he said. He asked his supporters to “stick together.”

“We all should pray that the next four years that there is truly change in our lives and we can breath easier and we can look at our kids and not worry about what is waiting for them in their lives,” he said.

He continued to address the crowd in Chamorro. Rain fell again but supporters gathered around the candidates despite the downpour to embrace each other and cheer.

In a later interview, committee-to-elect Hofschneider and Yumul chair David Attao acknowledged that the GOP tandem has accumulated a seemingly insurmountable lead in the runoff.

“I’m not saying we’re conceding. It has to come from Heinz and Ray. We accept what’s going on. We thank our supporters and we see the margin is a wide gap. We worked hard and we tried hard. We see we’re not in the top. The numbers speak for themselves. We’re very thankful and appreciate that we both ran hard and tough campaigns.”

Despite their imminent loss in the runoff election, Attao said Hofschneider and Yumul’s supporters are willing to work with Inos and Torres to help the CNMI forge ahead.

“We want to continue to work hard for the CNMI and see the brightness of the future. We wish the winning camp will have a better vision for the next four years for all of us. We hope that Inos and Torres camp does the right thing for all of us and that’s what we’ve been pushing. Definitely we’re willing to work with the governor-elect and lieutenant governor-elect.” (With Mark Rabago)