ASUC Elections 2018

Congratulations, UC Berkeley students: You’ve just elected a squirrel to represent you.

ASUC campaigns collectively cost $6,361 in the 2018 elections, almost $2,600 less than the $9,000 spent during the 2016 elections.

After the ASUC tabulation ceremony Friday, the faces of candidates and their supporters expressed not only joy and disappointment, but also utter shock that UC Berkeley students had just elected a squirrel to the ASUC Senate.

Student Action won a majority of the ASUC Senate seats — the first time since 2012 that any one party has won a majority of the senate.

The night’s results mark a major victory for Student Action, which won all the executive seats it campaigned for, and a tough loss for CalSERVE, with only party member Nuha Khalfay managing to secure a spot in the executive office.

Along with a new batch of ASUC executives and senators, students learned both referendums on the ballot passed during Friday’s tabulations ceremony, revising the ASUC constitution and tacking on another student fee for the upcoming year.

This elections season, there were three presidential candidates, two executive vice president candidates, two external affairs vice president candidates, two academic affairs vice president candidates, two student advocate candidates and 37 ASUC Senate candidates on the ballot.

During the 2017-18 year, executives focused on issues ranging from student mental health and grading policy to space allocation for student needs.

The Daily Californian editorial board interviewed each candidate and considered their experience, platforms and values when deciding who to endorse. UC Berkeley students deserve representatives who will tackle important issues head-on, and we’re confident these individuals will.