The results are out, and Students First! came in first.
As candidates and students waited in anticipation, the
Undergraduate Students Association Council’s 2003 election
results were announced late Thursday night on top of the Kerckhoff
steps.
Cheers arose as the new USAC president Anica McKesey was
announced. First! candidates also won the internal and external
vice presidential positions. McKesey won 51 percent of the
vote.
Six out of 13 offices will be heading for a runoff election next
week, in which the two top vote-getters for each position will
compete again. Runoff elections are held for positions where no
candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote.
While over 200 First! supporters celebrated their victories,
members of the other two slates consoled each other and
congratulated the winners.
One representative from the Students United for Reform and
Equality slate will definitely sit on council next year ““
Erica Husse, the new financial supports commissioner.
The newest slate, United Independents, which formed early spring
quarter, did not win any seats on council. No U.I. candidate
received enough votes to compete in the runoff elections
either.
The rest of the new council, which will be dominated by First!
councilmembers in the executive positions, will be determined next
week.
But for now, First! celebrated winning the presidency.
“Thank you for the blood, sweat and tears,” McKesey
said, addressing her supporters in her first speech as the USAC
president-elect.
McKesey beat her opponents with over a 16 percent margin.
Despite the victories, McKesey said her immediate focus is to
get the rest of the First! candidates on council. She added that
her first step as president would be to continue work on her
goals.
“We can’t lose sight of our goals,” McKesey
said, adding that her top priorities are to lobby against the
increase of student fees and against cuts in student services.
McKesey’s opponents said they were disappointed for their
loss but that they were glad a qualified candidate won the
presidency.
“I am surprised. … Everything happens for a
reason,” said Adam Harmetz, the presidential candidate from
the S.U.R.E. slate who received 36 percent of the votes.
Harmetz said McKesey ran a good race and will make a fine
president.
The other presidential candidate, Andrew LaFlamme from the U.I.
slate, said he was also happy for McKesey and that he would
continue to stay involved in USAC. LaFlamme won 13 percent of the
vote.
“I am going to work with Anica … and will help her in
any way I can to make sure things are done,” LaFlamme
said.
With 51 percent of the vote, First! candidate Allende
Palma-Saracho won the internal vice presidency.
Palma-Saracho said he wanted to thank all the candidates on the
First! slate. But Thursday night, he said he was thinking
celebration.
His opponents, however, were disappointed with their losses.
A teary-eyed U.I. candidate Kendra Carney said she was unhappy
about the “slate-biased system” she said had been
apparent in this year’s elections.
“It is unfortunate … and (U.I.) is going to try to
change that.”
The third candidate, Gideon Baum, declined to comment.
The last of the three executive positions was won by First!
candidate Matt Kazcmarek. Kazcmarek won the external vice
presidential position with 56 percent of the vote.
“Tonight we are going to celebrate that we took the
executive offices, but starting tomorrow, we are going back to
work,” Kazcmarek said.
Kazcmarek added that in the next few weeks and in the next year
he will be fighting for students’ rights in public
education.
The EVP office, along with the rest of council, will be lobbying
both leaders of the University of California and the leaders of the
nation, Kazcmarek said.
His opponent, S.U.R.E. candidate David Rodriguez, said he tried
the best he could during the campaign.
“It was a good fight, and he won, but I gave it my best
(try),” Rodriguez said, adding that he is grateful for his
support despite not having been in UCLA for a full year, having
come in as a third-year transfer student.
As the lone victor from the S.U.R.E. slate Thursday night, Husse
said she had already built good relationships with many First!
candidates and plans to work well with the rest of council as the
new financial supports commissioner. Husse beat U.I. candidate Omar
Qudrat with 62 percent of the vote.
Independent candidate Janet Chiang won the most votes for the
position of the student welfare commissioner. Chiang said she is
relieved the whole elections process is over, so that she can now
concentrate on recruiting staff for the commission next year.
Unopposed candidates Jason Gaulton and Justin Schreiber won the
positions of campus events commissioner and community service
commissioner, respectively with 100 percent of the vote.
Gaulton said he plans to start work in his commission
immediately.
“From now on, this is when everything starts to come
together. … Hopefully everything improves, from contacts to
advertising,” Gaulton said.
This year’s elections being online for the first time in
UCLA’s history brought a positive impact, said USAC Elections
Board Chairman Joseph Vardner.
About 6,000 undergraduate students voted this year ““ over
1,000 more than last year.
With reports from Charles Proctor and Shaun Bishop, Daily Bruin
Reporters.