On Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Associated Students of the University of Utah (ASUU) hosted their final debate for the 2026-2027 executive leadership positions. The final three tickets — Sunshine, Hand and Stringham — deliberated on why their platform is best fit to serve the U’s student body.
In collaboration with The Daily Utah Chronicle, the debate took place at the Epicenter where students, staff and faculty gathered to learn more about the three campaigns’ plans for next year. In the primary election, the Stringham ticket led in votes, followed by Sunshine and Hand.
Each ticket presented their opening statement. Afterwards, there two vice presidential portions, one for Student Relations and one for University Relations, with two questions each. The presidential section of the debate consisted of eight questions, three of which targeted specific tickets.
Opening statements
Presidential candidate Erica Stringham, Vice President of University Relations candidate Jake Holmberg and Vice President of Student Relations candidate Niya West make up the Stringham ticket. Their number one campaign pillar is to decrease tuition by reestablishing the student lobbyist group.
Rayshon “Ray” Baker is the presidential candidate for the Sunshine ticket, with Eddie Yokoyama as Vice President of University Relations and Adrianna Bonney as Vice President of Student Relations. Their four pillars are transparency, a voice for the student body, Recognized Student Organization (RSO) engagement and the overall enhancement of the student experience.
Headed by presidential candidate Carol Hand, the Hand ticket has Zoha Memon as Vice President of University Relations and Sandrine Mimche as Vice President of Student Relations. Their campaign’s main focuses are safety, affordability and enhancing campus events.
Marginalized groups on campus
In the weeks leading up to the debate, The Chronicle released a survey on what campus issues need the most attention from ASUU representatives. Support for marginalized students ended with the most votes.
Chronicle moderators Emerson Hagy and Addy Cowley asked the Stringham ticket about what group of students needs the most support and what changes they will make to support them. West explained that her ticket aims to help graduate students and commuter students.
“We want to include grad students in ways that they haven’t been before by specializing and tailoring solutions to the resources that are for them, to be able to connect them to their resources rather than just focusing on the freshman year experience,” West said.
The Hand ticket’s Mimche shared her experience being a graduate student. She explained that many students involved in intensive programs often get overlooked. She also wants to give a voice to commuter students.
Specific policy implementations
In the University Relations section of the debate, the Hand ticket’s Memon explained that one change they hope to implement is a student lounge designed specifically for commuter students.
Holmberg, candidate for the Stringham ticket, reiterated Memon’s statement on a space for commuters on campus. “Let them know that there’s places where they can relax, take a breather, store objects and whatever else they need,” Holmberg said.
Another priority for the Stringham ticket is parking, specifically in reducing the rates of parking passes and lessening the financial burden that owning a car might present.
The Sunshine ticket emphasized on-campus event attendance. Yokoyama explained that his ticket would include all students in event planning, as well as create functions students genuinely want to participate in.
Presidential block
In the presidential block of the debate, presidential candidates Stringham, Hand and Baker answered questions about administration, campus safety concerns and representation of the student body.
Baker explained that in regards to working with administration, he wants to keep the people they serve at the forefront of their minds. The Sunshine ticket hopes to provide transparency for students to stay informed on the ongoings of the university administration. “I think that by adding that pressure, by making sure the students are informed, students don’t get blindsided by these parking changes, and they’re able to fight back with their words because I’ll be the president who will advocate for them,” Baker said.
In response to promoting on-campus safety, Stringham said that her campaign will work to increase access to safe transportation, especially by restructuring the campus shuttle system to make it more accessible and reliable.
In terms of structural changes, Hand expressed how her campaign will increase campus surveys about student experiences within each college. “We want to ensure that we’re taking those voices as a student body and we’re representing them fully, to the utmost extent of our power, but also so that we are listening to them and making sure that our policies are reflecting those voices,” Hand said.
Moving forward
In interviews with The Chronicle after the event, candidates from each ticket said they feel hopeful and confident moving into the final election. Sunshine, Stringham and Hand all thought the debate was a success, especially in allowing them to address the audience in issues that directly impact the student experience.
“I’m looking forward to the results. It was a very tight primary, but I’m hoping to pull ahead and succeed,” Hand told The Chronicle. “However, I think anyone who runs will be an excellent candidate for student body president.”
