The UF Student Government Election Commission ruled Thursday that the Swamp Party cannot be referred to as “the former Unite Party” — or any variation thereof — in campaign materials.
Sen. Truman Williams, on behalf of the Swamp Party, filed an elections violation complaint against Sen. Umair Asghar and the Students Party for misrepresenting a fact in a guest column Asghar wrote for the Alligator.
Asghar wrote that the Unite Party had been replaced by the Swamp Party and most of its members had been in the Unite Party, which Williams argued was false.
“We created this party as a new party for the University of Florida,” Williams said.
Christian Chessman, who represented Asghar and the Students Party, said the column was protected as political speech and not campaign material.
Williams said only 10 Swamp Party candidates have been involved with the Unite Party.
Students Party representative Sen. Carly Wilson said 15 were affiliated with Unite.
The commission said neither is a majority of the slated candidates.
“If new leadership emerges and starts a new party, and that party doesn’t want to be associated with the old party for any reason, they shouldn’t be,” said Commission Chairman Wes Stephens.
The commission unanimously ruled a cease-and-desist on the issue. But this rule can’t stop people from stating fact, such as saying a former Unite Party senator was a former Unite Party senator.
“Fortunately, I believe in University of Florida’s system of justice, and we’ll appeal it,” Chessman said after the hearing.
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
