After an uncontested Student Association executive board election last year, this year’s ballot will be a bit crowded.
Two parties, as well as two independent treasurer candidates, are running for next year’s SA e-board, which consists of the SA president, vice president and treasurer – positions that oversee more than $4 million of student funds collected through a mandatory student activity fee. This year’s election will take place in the Student Union from March 29-31. Club endorsements are held this week.
SA election rules allow for treasurer candidates to run independently, while president and vice president candidates must run on one ballot together.
The Progress Party is the only party running with all three candidate positions and all three currently work on SA’s staff.
Matt Rivera is the Progress Party’s presidential candidate and is currently SA’s student affairs director – the same position current SA President Minahil Khan held before being elected president last spring. Megan Glander is the Progress Party’s vice presidential candidate and currently SA’s Special Interests, Services and Hobbies Coordinator – the same position current SA Vice President Sean Kaczmarek held before being elected. Dan Emmons, an SA bookkeeper, is the Progress Party’s treasurer candidate.
Maximillian Budynek is running for president under the Transparency Party. Budynek is a junior history and political science major and resident adviser (RA) on campus. He said he has also worked for the Town of Brookhaven, New York government. Daniel Christian, a junior history major and fellow RA, is running as vice president of the Transparency Party. He has previously interned with the UB football coaching staff.
SA Senator and Chinese Student Association treasurer Carl Ross is running for treasurer independently. Ross previously ran for SA Senate chair last semester. Aaron Hussain is also running for treasurer independently. Hussain is a junior human resources and operations management major who previously served as treasurer for Students for Justice in Palestine.
Last year, the Unity Party ran unopposed after the Clarity Party dropped out of the running after club endorsements. Only 217 – about 1 percent of UB undergraduate students – voted in the election.
This year’s elections will be held from March 29-31 and students can vote from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Marlee Tuskes is the senior news editor and can be reached at marlee.tuskes@ubspectrum.com. Follow her on Twitter at @marleetuskes5.
