Dateline: November 15, 2001

Estes, Underwood face runoff   

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Republican state senate candidate Craig Estes won the most votes in last week’s special election, but he will still face a runoff election next month because he did not receive more than 50 percent of the ballots cast.

Estes received 16,864 votes district-wide or 47.2 percent – more than twice the total of his nearest competitor, Democrat Greg Underwood, who garnered 8,286 votes or 23.2 percent.

In canvassing local returns Monday by the Donley County Commissioners’ Court, Estes picked up another 17 votes, bringing his county total to 153.

A date for the December runoff between Estes and Underwood was not set as of press time Tuesday. The winner will fill the vacant seat of the late Sen. Tom Haywood.