Students interested in running for a UF Senate seat this Spring election can begin registering and meeting the parties Friday.
Potential candidates can start the qualifying and slating, or interviewing, processes to be on the ballot Friday and can choose from several parties: Gator, Union or Change. Parties will be holding virtual interviews, according to Gator campaign manager Feraby Hoffman, Union campaign manager Ethan Lomio and Change party president Zoe Terner.
Students can also choose to register as independent by contacting the UF Supervisor of Elections, according to the website.
Progressive Party will not be participating in this election but has plans to come back to Student Government as the Socialist Party in the Fall semester, party president Alfredo Ortiz said. Level Up Party officials did not answer questions about slating plans, and Inspire Party's plans are unknown, according to party officials.
Spring elections will be held on Feb. 23 and 24. Students will vote on the new Executive Board, which is composed of the student body president, vice president and treasurer, along with 50 senators representing academic colleges and class years.
Gator Party introduced its candidates for the executive ticket on Thursday, announcing Cooper Brown, Faith Maniti and Giovanna Mompremier for the Student Body President, Vice President and Treasurer seats, respectively.
Union Party campaign manager Ethan Lomio wrote in an email that, along with running for Senate seats, Union will also be running a full executive ticket, with candidates to the president, vice president and treasurer candidates positions . He also said Union’s platform and executive ticket candidates will be announced before the end of slating on Tuesday.
“My one request for any prospective Union senate candidate is that they have a thirst for reform more innovative and more comprehensive than anything we can yet imagine,” he wrote.
It is unclear if Change is releasing an executive ticket.
All potential candidates running for a seat in Senate must be registered as a full-time student enrolled in the college which they seek to represent and maintain an undergraduate 2.5 GPA or graduate 3.0 GPA. Candidates must also be free of conduct probation or any financial obligations to the university, according to the Student Government election rules.
In the qualifying process, students must confirm they meet all above requirements by completing a form that will open Friday and close Tuesday, Feb. 2. Students can choose to complete the form virtually through the SG website or go to the third floor of the Reitz Union Friday, Monday or Tuesday, according to the website.
Parties will have the option to hold interviews in person or virtually, according to the website. Gator and Union parties will be conducting all interviews electronically via Zoom to ensure students’ safety during the pandemic, according to both parties’ campaign managers.
Senate is currently represented by a significant majority of the Gator Party, holding 31 of the 50 seats up for election this Spring. Inspire is the only other minority party currently in Senate, holding 11 seats.
Contact Carolina Ilvento at cilvento@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @CarolinaIlvento.
Carolina is a second-year journalism major with a minor in sustainability. In the past, she covered stories and events for WUFT, and she is now reporting on Student Government for The Alligator. Carolina loves to do yoga and go to the beach whenever she isn't writing.
