SMU Student Senate election results came in yesterday, resulting in a runoff for the office of president as well as vice president. Former student body presidential candidate Tulsi Lohani was disqualified from the race, leaving only two candidates in the runoff. Faith Bombito and Krish Madhura are the two candidates in the vice presidential runoff.
This election saw a historically low voter turnout with just 36% (2,517) of the undergraduate student population casting ballots on Connect.SMU.
SMU Student Senate president candidates Alex Alarcón and Hope Heiden met with the Daily Campus just minutes after discovering they had both made the runoff on April 6. Voting for president and vice president begins next Tuesday, April 11, at 9 a.m. on Connect.
Candidates’ answers appear alphabetically by last name.
The Daily Campus: Thank you guys for joining me. What are you most excited about coming up in the year of the Senate, regardless of who wins the election?
Alex Alarcón: I think we’ve had just a great pool of Senate candidates overall. So regardless, we’re just gonna have, as we always do, just a lot of really ambitious people that want to get to work. So that’ll be fun, nonetheless.
Hope Heiden: I think I’m just really excited for a new chamber. I’m excited for everybody that just got a position in Senate, and I look forward to taking a new year as a new opportunity to create a chamber that we’ve never seen before.
DC: What is something that you can learn or have learned from your fellow candidates thus far?
AA: I like the boldness in his [Tulsi Lohani’s] campaign, I liked that. He really went out there being a sophomore and just tried to use his connections even though he hadn’t been in a lot of the circles. And then from Hope- just a really authentic message and getting that out there.
HH: From Tulsi, he is not ever afraid to say exactly what he’s thinking, and I think a lot of us have a lot to learn from that. I really have enjoyed his campaign truly so much. I’ve learned so much about him through it. And I really admire him for running as a sophomore and putting himself out there. I think his campaign emulated strength and authenticity. So, I really admire him for that. And then for Alex, again, just authenticity. What I’ve loved about this election especially is going into this run off with Alex. We truly have found a way to balance our friendship in this campaign. So, I really just thank him for that and look forward to this week.
DC: Speaking of friends and people that are there to support you: If you could pick one person or a few people, who would you say has been your biggest supporter throughout this entire process?
AA: I have a handful people in my corner, like Christian Taylor, Ruth Anne [Emerson], and Olivia Porsch. And there’s more- all of them they know who they are- but they’ve truly just, you know, had patience with me and just been in there helping me out with this campaign. So, I’m truly thankful for all of them.
HH: What I will never forget from this election is really just seeing your team going in and how many people are in your corner and how strong it [the campaign] ends up being. I think it’s truly been so amazing being able to feel so supported by the people around me because I could not do this on my own. Special shout out to my manager Cole Dennis who has done quite literally anything and everything to make this campaign possible.
DC: Last question: What is the first thing you’re going to do once this whole Senate election business is over?
AA: I’m gonna play some Frisbee on the lawn. That just sounds great right now just to relax out there. Hopefully on a nice day with no crazy tempest.
HH: I’m going to say, watch a show with my roommate because that is something that we used to love doing at least once a week, but we haven’t had that in about a month and a half now. So, I really just look forward to getting to see my friends and a little bit more and catch up on everyone’s lives.
DC: Thank you both so much, best of luck with everything, and congratulations.
