Carlos Razo garnered 1,366 votes this week in his victorious bid for Associated Students president.
The turnout was down from last year, with 1, 656 students, or 6.5 percent of San Diego State University’s students voting. Last year, more than 3,100 students voted.
The Elections Committee also voted Thursday morning not to disqualify Arts and Letters candidate Jena Salda?a for allegedly campaigning by telephone. Salda?a, who is president of the Residence Hall Association, ended up receiving 169 votes, winning a full seat.
The controversy occurred after Salda?a recorded a voice mail informing residence hall staff that only RHA-endorsed candidates could hang their material in the halls. Salda?a was one of the candidates the RHA endorsed.
Razo, who is currently vice president of external affairs, ran unopposed in the election, which was held April 7-10.
He said he was disappointed in the low voter turnout, and in the fact that he ran unopposed.
“I can’t say (winning is) not a great feeling, but given the fact that I was running unopposed, I could have assumed I was going to win. But I didn’t take it lightly and I didn’t take it for granted. I’m exhausted and I’m sunburned because I’ve been campaigning nonstop,” Razo said. “I am saddened that (the votes totaled) only six and a half percent of the campus community. Obviously it’s just beginning now, and we need to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Ricardo Lara won the position of executive vice president with 861 votes. His opponent, Jason “Woody” Wood received 679 votes.
Lara said he was a bit surprised that he won, and he thanked the student body for voting for him.
“I’d like to thank the student body for supporting the most qualified candidate. I didn’t rely on one organization,” said Lara, who is currently a representative for the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts.
Celinda Vazquez garnered 1,330 votes in her unopposed bid for vice president of external affairs. Vazquez is currently a representative for the College of Health and Human Services.
Paul Astwood won the position of vice president of finance with 817 votes. His opponent, Frankie Jaramilla, received 711 votes.
Astwood, who is currently the Afrikan Student Union representative, said he thought he had a good chance of winning.
“I knew it would be close, and it was, but I thought I had a good shot. We put in the time, we put in the work, we had a good team. We had the experience,” Astwood said.
In the race for college representatives, Yvonne Martinez received 265 votes to win a full seat in the College of Business.
In addition to Salda?a winning a full seat, Stephanie Sperber received 95 votes for a full seat, and Teresa Gerolaga received 75 votes for a half seat for the College of Arts and Letters. Candidate Altie Taylor Holcomb pulled out of the race for personal reasons. Full seats are good for one year, and half seats are good for one semester.
Amy Kravitz won 99 votes for a full seat in the College of Education.
Pedro Anaya and Jennifer Bresler both won full seats representing the College of Sciences. Anaya received 142 votes and Bresler received 118 votes.
Jason Lee Rollingson and Shaun Thomas Flanigan also clinched two full seats representing undeclared majors. Rollingson got 71 votes and Flanigan received 84 votes.
To be official, election results must be approved by the A.S. council at its next meeting on April 16.
