After a University-wide Student Government election in which no executive alliance ticket captured over 50 percent of the vote, candidates Braydon Jones and Kimia Dargahi will enter a runoff election against Xavier Rotnofsky and Rohit Mandalapu.
The Jones-Dargahi alliance received 46.34 percent of the student vote, and Rotnofsky-Mandalapu received 26.9 percent. The other two executive alliances on the ballot, David Maly and Steven Svatek and Baylor Morrison and Matthew Normyle, received a combined total of 26.74 percent.
Student Government presidential candidates Xavier Rotnofsky and Braydon Jones walk into the election room, hand-in-hand. Daulton Venglar | Daily Texan Staff
“We’re not as nervous anymore,” Rotnofsky, associate editor at humor publication Texas Travesty, said. “Surprised, for sure. … I’m pretty sure this has been the most successful [Texas Travesty] campaign ever. Travesty alumns have reached out to us and said they loved the campaign. That’s been the best reward.”
The Texas Travesty, a humor publication, enters a team in SG elections each year.
Jones, who has described himself as the candidate with the most Student Government experience, said he is optimistic about his team’s odds for the runoff election.
“Our numbers looked great the first time,” Jones said. “We’re going to do exactly what we’ve been doing.”
Nicholas Molina, Election Supervisory Board chair, said it was difficult to predict the results of the Executive Alliance race in advance.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a surprise,” Molina said. “[Both teams have] been campaigning so well.”
According to Molina, 9,108 votes were cast in the election, an increase of 14 percent in voter turnout over last spring.
Arjun Mocherla, an agent on Jones and Dargahi’s campaign, said the run-off will allow more time to get student input for their platform.
“Obviously, we’d love to win [the election] straight out, but Xavier and Rohit are hilarious guys,” Mocherla said. “This is a great opportunity to continue to meet students on campus and see what students need.”
Texas Travesty editor-in-chief Chris Gilman said he attributes Rotnofsky and Mandalapu’s success to reaching out to smaller and more diverse groups of students.
“I think they’re taking all the right moves,” Gilman said. “They’re talking to all the right people … and taking it day-by-day.”
Maly-Svatek received 1,161 votes, and Morrison-Normyle received 1,009. Morrison-Normyle said Sunday they were going to withdraw from the race, but, according to Molina, the duo never officially removed themselves from the ballot.
“I’ve heard two people say they were confused about why Baylor and Matthew were still on the ballot … that those thousand would have turned the election,” Molina said. “The correct answer for that, is that even though Baylor [Morrison] and Matthew [Normyle] expressed to [The Daily Texan] that they were dropping out, they never officially dropped out.”
Jones said Morrison-Normyle being on the ticket may have impacted the results.
“With Baylor and Matthew withdrawing and still being on the ballot, some people may have gotten confused and messed up the numbers,” Jones said.
Morrison said he does not think having his and Normyle’s name on the ballot affected the outcome of the election and said that he was pleased with the results.
“I don’t think it affected the vote,” Morrison said. “It’s the happiest I’ve ever been for fourth place.”
Maly congratulated the runoff teams and said he enjoyed campaigning for the election.
“It was an interesting race and a good learning experience,” Maly said.
Jones-Dargahi and Rotnofsky-Mandalapu will be allowed to spend an additional $150 each on campaigning. The two teams will compete in the runoff election March 11–12.
For a full list of election results, check out our infographic:
