The Swamp Party won’t be the only party with executive candidates in the upcoming Spring 2015 Student Government elections.
An unlikely trio involving a law student, an independent UF student senator and a former Swamp Party senator came together to lead a new political party — Access Party.
“It is nice when people have choices, and we want to commit ourselves to a more open, transparent and fair student government for everyone,” said Access Party treasurer Ford Dwyer.
All three candidates on Access Party’s ballot are current and former Swamp senators. The candidates are Joselin Padron-Rasines for Student Body president, Kevin Doan for Student Body vice president and Nick Carre for Student Body treasurer.
Padron-Rasines said she has noticed positions given in SG are often based on connections rather than merit.
“Once you’re in Student Government, you realize that it works for those who are powerful or well connected,” she said.
Doan said the new party’s three main foundations are accessibility, accountability and efficiency.
“This is something that we feel that will more accurately represent all the students,” he said.
Party leadership comes from both sides of the aisle.
For three months, Access Party President Matthew Hoeck served as a replacement senator for a liberal arts seat in Fall 2013. He then chose to run with Swamp Party.
Dwyer, currently a first-year UF law student, was a founding member of another political party — Students Party. For two semesters, he served as a Students Party senator for Murphree and District D.
“We want to show students that we’re the ones that are going to change this university,” Dwyer said.
The party’s campaign manager, Michael Christ, is currently an independent UF student senator representing graduate students.
Christ said there has been discontent in SG for years.
“If we want to see the changes that we know the university and Student Body deserves, then we actually have to join together and take a stand,” he said.
Hoeck said the purpose of the party is to combine old and current members of SG who share a common goal to make SG more accessible for every student.
“It’s a broad coalition,” he said. “The goal is to be using as many multi-platforms as possible and to be interacting with as many students as possible.”
Current Student Body President Cory Yeffet said he is supportive of seeing more students getting involved in Student Government.
The other registered parties are Pants Party, Ignite Party, Keg Party, Greek Party, Growl, Horizon Party and Impact Party.
“It’s time,” Padron-Rasines said. “Instead of talking about what can be done to change Student Government, we’re actually doing it.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/28/2015 under the headline “Access Party aims to make SG open to all students"]
Correction: When this story ran in the paper, Padron-Rasines' name was spelled incorrectly as "Padrone-Rasines."
