None of the 10 presidential candidates received a majority of support during the first round of voting, which began last Monday and ended Wednesday. In the runoff, freshmen will vote on the two candidates who received the most votes: Luchi Mmegwa, who received 156 votes in the first round, and Blaire Bloxom, who received 115 votes. Runoff voting will begin today and run through Wednesday.
Mmegwa said in an e-mail that he was “thankful” for the opportunity to advance to the runoff and noted that he plans to continue with his current campaign strategy, based on “the age-old firm handshake and honest conversation.”
“The path to the presidency for me will not be paved with just posters and business cards, but with a toothy ‘Canadian’ smile and a genuine commitment to getting to know the great members of this class,” Mmegwa said.
Bloxom sparked controversy for her campaign after she distributed business cards featuring a racy photo of a shirtless man and woman lying on top of each other along with the slogan “Don’t be square, vote for Blaire.”
With only one week to get 1,312 freshmen to know her name, Bloxom said in an e-mail that her goal was to get people talking and pique their interest in the election. “I want them to know the person behind the business card, not just the name,” she explained.
The cards attracted enough attention to catch the eye of Public Safety, which Bloxom said contacted her to confirm that she had authorized the distribution of the cards. Public Safety was concerned that the girl on the postcard was actually her and that the cards were handed out without her consent, she explained.
The three vice-presidential candidates who received the most votes of the nine contenders will proceed to the runoff, competing for a plurality of support. Michael Moses received 130 votes, and Devon Barrett and Trap Yates each received 104.
After deciding to run on a whim, Yates credited his laid-back campaign style for his success so far.
“I had some really great conversations with people about my view on the role of student government, the election process and a huge number of other topics that came up as a result,” he said in an e-mail. Yates is also a contributing writer for The Daily Princetonian.
Barrett and Moses did not respond to requests for comment.
Two of the four candidates for treasurer, Anjali Menon and Sophia Deng, will advance to the runoff election after receiving 210 and 193 votes, respectively. Both cited their experience managing large amounts of money as an advantage. Menon said she was responsible for managing the $100,000 budgets of statewide events, and Deng fundraises with Tiger Call and for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week at the University.
Deng said she was “energized” and “thankful” that she received the support of so many of her classmates, adding that her “great experience” at Princeton so far inspired her to run for a class government position. “I wanted to give back in a proactive way where I felt I could see change and make a difference for my class,” she explained.
Menon said she thought her initial campaign was successful because she was able to spread the word effectively and convey her goals and vision to her fellow classmates.
“Advancing has shown me that my classmates are supportive of my vision for the class and confident in my ability to execute the goals I have laid out,” Menon said in an e-mail. She is also a contributing writer for the ‘Prince.’
Andrea Baglioni was elected social chair after earning a majority of 388 votes in the first round of voting, in which he competed with two other candidates.
“My campaigning mainly involved getting to know people. I feel as social chair my main job would be to make sure the students get what they want, so I thought meeting people would be a good start,” he said. Baglioni noted that he is excited about the next couple months and plans to “make this year one worth remembering.”
Mary D’Onofrio was elected secretary with 749 votes after running for the position unopposed. “I’m really excited for a great year,” D’Onofrio said. “I can’t wait to work with the rest of the Class of 2014 government, and I’m eager to get started.” D’Onofrio is also a contributing writer for the ‘Prince.’
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