Ponsonby Press: Whitehouse Delivers First-Ballot Knockout

The Ponsonby Press is the official periodical news source of the Popular Republican Movement. It is mailed as a courtesy to paying party members, and can also be purchased individually at select locations.
==Sheldon Whitehouse outperforms polls, stays PRM leader==
===Full results:===
*Whitehouse: 59%
*Stoph: 17%
*Rumsfeld: 13%
*Bandersnatch: 11%
==Last-minute UKIP drama and national opinion poll boosted the incumbent==
Although it was close, the most recent Ponsonby Press poll showed Whitehouse just short of the 50% he needed to secure re-nomination on the first ballot after his opponents started building support as a result of the debate. However, Whitehouse's candidacy was given a major gift just before the election ended; recent statements by UKIP MPs about the Imperial Government had undermined MP Bandersnatch's pitch to work across the aisle. On top of that, the first national poll released in over a year showed PRM leading the pack for the first time ever, which convinced a not-so-insignificant number of voters to rally behind Whitehouse.
Deputy Imperial Chancellor Whitehouse made a brief stop back at the main party headquarters to give a victory speech. A transcript follows:
"I truly am humbled by the outpouring of support I've received to continue representing this party. I look around the crowd now and I see a party more unified, more enthusiastic, more ready to shape the future of Falleentium than ever before - and that is a high bar, believe it or not. I'd like to thank my opponents for the vigorous policy debate we had as a party thanks to them. And I'd like to thank all of the voters for coming out last night. I think the one takeaway from everything that's happened in the past few days, both in this contest and in the national political scene, proves that when Popular Republicans lead with their values, the people of Falleentium rally around us. Now, the task at hand is to secure a good and just peace for Falleentium. The Foreign Secretary is sinking his teeth into that issue as we speak. I have the utmost faith that he will get us a good peace - maybe not at this first summit, depending on how it goes, but he won't stop until he gets us the right peace deal, one that will create a lasting peace in the world. Thank you again, and good night."
Stoph Concedes
"Although I had hoped to compete in a second-round election against Whitehouse, especially with the encouragement of the post-debate poll, it seems that scenario was simply not meant to be. Regardless, for the duration of this contest I consistently polled in second place behind Sheldon - hopefully, this alone proves to the prognosticators who said that my views were whacky off-the-wall left-wing ideas that could not compete in a PRM leadership contest were wrong. Nevertheless I congratulate the Deputy Imperial Chancellor for running a strong campaign, and I look forward to continuing to assist him going forward. Thank you."
Rumsfeld Concedes
"I joined this race because I believe firmly that it is a matter of preservation of Falleentium that we stay strong in Veld and Hastigan exit negotiations, lest other states follow suit. In the end, it wasn't enough for me to win this race, but I hope my arguments and concerns have been taken into serious consideration by the Falleen people, Sheldon Whitehouse, the rest of PRM leadership, and government as a whole. That being said, I must formally concede to Sheldon on behalf of his wide victory and wish him all the best going forward."
Bandersnatch Concedes
"I'm proud of the campaign we've run, and this result has not caused my convictions to waver. The ideas I ran my campaign on, I believe, are the correct course of action. The ideas were good, but unfortunately the time was just not right. I congratulate Sheldon Whitehouse on his victory, and I will return to the daily grind of work in Corrintrin to promote and support the Popular Republican agenda. Thank you all very much for your support, and I hope that the next vote I cast is for a peace deal that will allow us all to return to normalcy."
Category:The Imperial Constitution