U students voting in ASUU elections said they wanted a Revolution, rather than being taken where they needed to GO.
On March 12, Tayler Clough and Rachel Rizzo from the Revolution Party defeated Pace Johnson and Jeff Sbaih from the GO Party by 173 votes to become the newly elected president and vice president of the Associated Students of the University of Utah. The GO Party won the race for senior class president, as Erica Andersen defeated Quentin Hodges by 183 votes.
“To be honest, I didn’t think we were going to win,” said Clough, newly elected student body president. “The GO Party was flashier. This is really like a fairy tale. It’s amazing that this many people voted for us.”
A total of 3,652 students voted in t his year’s general elections, a decrease of just more than 400 votes from the number that voted in primaries. About 700 more votes were cast during this year’s final elections than last year’s.
Johnson, the GO Party’s candidate for President, said that he had mixed feelings about how everything ended up.
“I am in a position that I wish I could have done more,” Johnson said. “I did work my hardest, and I saw our candidates working their hardest too. I am extremely happy that Erica did make it.”
Rizzo, vice president-elect of ASUU, said she was so overwhelmed that she didn’t know what to think or do next.
“Honestly, it has been such a long journey that I am so relieved and so excited to have come out on top,” Rizzo said. “I have no words right now8212;it’s really overwhelming.”
Sbaih, the GO Party’s candidate for vice president, said that the students should be happy with the way the elections turned out.
“In the end, we trust the students’ voice,” Sbaih said. “We believe in the Revolution Party. They will do a great job.”
Andersen was visibly overcome with emotion as she said she was proud of what the GO Party had accomplished.
“I am really, really proud of the campaign that we ran,” Andersen said. “I am very proud that I made it through and am proud of all those that made it through from our party. I truly feel like we gave it our all during this process.”
Hodges, the Revolution Party’s candidate for senior class president, appeared upbeat as he reflected on his defeat.
“I am really happy that Tayler and Rachel won,” Hodges said. “Our platform has the chance to get out there, get to students and change how we view this campus. Of course I am sad I didn’t win. I would like to be there with them.”
The two parties split the Senate and General Assembly elections. The Revolution Party will have eight members in the Senate and 29 in the Assembly. The GO Party will have seven members in the Senate and 19 in the Assembly. There will also be one independent, Elizabeth Adoyo, in the Senate.
Clough said that now that elections are over, it is time for the winners to get to work.
“I guess we start by making the Redbook changes and cut stipends back,” Clough said. “We have a lot of work to do. We don’t have a lot of time, but we are excited to get started.”
Richard Payson/The Daily Utah ChronicleRachel Rizzo and Taylor Clough hug as other Revolution party members celebrate after the announcement that Clough and Rizzo won the Presidential election by 173 votes.