With the support of the 1,685 students, Jared Axelrod and Juliana Guzman secured the two most important seats in student government Friday, defeating opponents Todd Mann and Jontae Grace for the presidential and vice presidential spots.
It was a close race; at one point Wednesday only 30 votes separated the Axelrod-Guzman ticket from Mann and Grace. Axelrod and Guzman won by 183 votes.
“I’m fuckin’ psyched,” Axelrod said in a phone interview after the results were posted.
The first mission Axelrod will pursue as ASUO president is “gettin’ down to business on Westmoreland,” he said. Promising to rally the troops and get more people on board, he said he’s going to work at postponing the University’s proposed sale of Westmoreland.
“I think it’s going to be really good. It’s going to be a successful year next year,” he said.
“Thanks to Todd and Jontae; they gave it a hell of an effort. It came down to the wire.”
Celebrating at a friends’ house with all the slate candidates, volunteers and some supporters, Axelrod said the celebration comprised thank yous and hugs.
About 19 percent of students cast ballots in the week-long general election, setting records. Only 9.9 percent voted in last year’s general election.
The courtyard outside the ASUO office was buzzing as the ASUO Elections Board taped the printed results to the inside of the office’s front window.
About 24 students waited outside the window. Excited chatter and predictions of who would become the next student government president and vice president echoed off the surrounding courtyard. But it all went silent as the crowd of people huddled around the window to peek at the results.
Former Executive candidates Dallas Brown and Jacob Daniels, who supported Mann in the general election, were on hand. Only a few people wore the neon orange T-shirts in support of the Axelrod-Guzman ticket.
“Oh, they won … good job,” Grace said after reading the results. “Tell everyone I said congratulations.”
“I wish them luck,” Mann said after continuing his critique on what he’s repeatedly called a “slander campaign.”
“Less mudslinging next time,” he said.
The four other races, two for the Athletic Department Finance Committee, one for the Programs Finance Committee and one for the Associated Student’s Presidential Advisory Council, were also close.
Kyle McKenzie and Natalie Kinsey will retain their seats on ADFC in the Student Senate. New ASPAC member Manisha Marberry and new PFC member Erica Anderson also gained majority support.
Members of the Axelrod-Guzman slate who were in races too close to call following the primaries lost three of four seats up for grabs in the general election. McKenzie beat Wannita Nualngam, who was on the Axelrod-Guzman slate, by 93 votes. Kinsey beat Cassandra Day, also a slate member, by 16 votes.
Marberry will begin her career in the ASUO government as the voice of the student body, advising University President Dave Frohnmayer on issues affecting campus, with a 255-vote margin over slate candidate Shimean Greenwood.
Anderson defeated opponent Lisha Menne by 148 votes for one of three Student Senate PFC seats.
Contact the campus and federal politics reporter at [email protected]
2006 ASUO General Election Results
President and Vice President
Jared Axelrod and Juliana Guzman 1,685
Todd Mann and Jontae Grace 1,502
Associated Students Presidential Advisory Committee
Manisha Marberry 1,067
Shimeon Greenwood 812
ASUO Programs Finance Senators
Erica Anderson 1,034
Lisha Menne 886
Athletics Department Finance Senators, Seat 7
Natalie Kinsey 941
Cassandra Day 925
ADFC Seat 8
Kyle McKenzie 1,023
Wannita Nualngam 930
