Student presidency race heads to run off
The votes are in, but it’s not over.
Wednesday night candidates and their supporters waited in eager anticipation for Senate membership chair Katy Blakey to announce who would hold next year’s offices.
The student body president is yet to be decided, because one candidate did not receive the necessary majority, fifty-percent plus one. There will be a runoff election between Michael Dorff and Thomas Kincaid beginning Wednesday at 7 p.m. and ending Thursday at 7 p.m.
“We knew a runoff was a possibility with three candidates seeking the position,” Dorff said. “It’s hard to get people to vote once, so to get them to vote a second time will be hard, but I’m happy to go out there and campaign again.”
Lyndsey Hummert was announced as vice-president and Ashley Earnest as secretary.
While waiting, onlookers jammed to songs supplied by Leadership Consultant Council member Maheen Taj. Taj said that she wanted to lighten the mood because it was a bit tense as people waited.
“We were so ready to hear the results,” said second time elected Cox School of Business senator Robert W. Quach.
Polls officially closed at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, but results were delayed in being announced until after 11 p.m. due to deliberation among the Senate membership committee to settle a complaint filed by candidates Dorff, Hummert and Kincaid against student body presidential candidate Blake Norvell.
Seven alleged violations were filed under one complaint that were either against the student code of conduct or the election code.
After the votes were tallied, there was not a complete sigh of relief among all candidates because of the impending runoff election between Dorff and Kincaid.
Kincaid says he is excited to continue to campaign to the students.
First-year senator Ashley Earnest was elated to be elected to office, and says she does not feel that her sophomore status will be a disadvantage. “I learned so much from Thomas who was secretary this year as a sophomore, and the example he set will help me so much next year.”
Elections were to originally take place beginning last Wednesday and end Thursday, but voting was postponed due to ice storms and hazardous weather conditions.
