No slate gained more than two seats in the primary elections and
more than half of council positions will go to runoff elections
next week, including a very close presidential race, according to
results announced Thursday night.
Lucero Chavez, a third-year American literature and culture and
Chicana/o studies student with Students First! and Marwa Kaisey, a
third-year neuroscience student with Bruins United, will continue
to runoffs in the presidential race. Kaisey was ahead in the
primary by only 19 votes.
Candidates for internal vice president, general representative,
and Academic Affairs and Facilities commissioners will also go to
runoff elections, since no candidate won a majority of votes.
Twenty-eight percent of the student body, or 6,552 students,
voted in the election. This number was slightly lower than last
year, when 31 percent of the student body cast votes.
Students First! gained two seats ““ Tina Park, a third-year
political science student won the office of external vice
president, and Marivell Caba, a third-year world arts and cultures
student, won the unopposed race for Cultural Affairs
commissioner.
Financial Supports commissioner candidate Shaun Doria, a
second-year neuroscience student, was the only Bruins United
candidate to win a seat.
Shauna Peterson was the only candidate from Slate Refund, a new
slate formed on the premise of refunding student-government fees,
and will continue on to runoff elections. Peterson, a second-year
political science student, is running for general
representative.
Members of Bruins United and Students First! said they will work
to increase voter turnout for the runoff elections.
“Voter turnout was less than expected, so we want to get
that up,” Chavez said. “I’m just going to be out
here from 9 to 5 with all these people.”
Joline Price, a third-year political science student who will
continue to runoff elections as a candidate for general
representative with Bruins United, also stressed the importance of
increasing voter turnout for the runoffs.
“We need to make sure that we get every single person to
vote,” she said.
Still, representatives from both slates said they were confident
they could win next week. Voting takes place next Tuesday through
Thursday via MyUCLA.
“Next week we’ll sweep the (general
representatives),” said Students First! candidate for general
representative Carlos Saucedo, a third-year political science and
public affairs student, as the rest of his slate cheered around
him.
“We fight for human rights. We fight for queer rights. We
fight for women’s rights,” he said.
Bruins United, cheering a few hundred feet away, was also
confident about their chances in the runoffs.
Current General Representative PC Zai, the Bruins United
candidate for Facilities commissioner who will continue to runoffs
said her slate had a new motto: “We’re not leaving
Shaun (Doria) alone.”
Independent candidate Farheen Malik will head the Community
Service commission for the second year in a row. She ran
unopposed.
Third-year English student Ravi Dehar won for Campus Events
commissioner, and third-year molecular, cell, and developmental
biology student Tamoran Jang won for Student Welfare
commissioner.
Candidates whose races are over said they will still campaign
for runoffs.
“I’ll be out there with my teammates,” said
Park, the only Students First! candidate to win a competitive race.
“I’m here for all of them.”
Bruins United’s Katie Tokushige, a third-year English
student who lost to Park, also said she would continue helping her
slatemates campaign.
“I’m going to be out there all next week,” she
said. “I believe in Bruins United too.”
Bruins United may have some unexpected help from independent
presidential candidate Troy Isaac, a third-year political science
student, who said he will endorse Kaisey and encourage his
supporters to vote for her.
Isaac said he felt he was successful despite his loss.
“It was a good effort, and 1,000 votes for an independent
speaks for itself.”
With reports from Melinda Dudley, Anthony Pesce and Bridget
Shackelford, Bruin senior staff.