For the first time in recent years, not all UF Student Government political parties are running an executive ticket.
The Students Party announced Wednesday it will not have candidates for Student Body President, vice president and treasurer on the ballot Feb. 18 and 19.
But Swamp Party nominees Cory Yeffet, Vivan Nguyen and Elliot Grasso won’t be running unopposed.
The newly formed Taco Libre Party, whose goal is to bring Taco Bell back to campus, is contending for executive offices with Stephanie Kreitzer for president, Juan Zapata for vice president and Micaela Montero for treasurer.
In every Spring election since 2000, all parties have run executive candidates. In 2005, the Voice Party ran only a treasurer, according to SG voting records.
Having more than two parties, though, isn’t unusual. Votes have been divided among as many as five parties in Spring elections in the past 14 years. For example, in 2009, there were four: The Unite; Orange and Blue; Keg; and Progress parties all participated.
Alex Klayman, the Students Party spokesman, said the party decided to forgo running an executive ticket this term because it seemed to be a better use of resources.
“By focusing on the seats we know are winnable for the minority party, we can begin building a larger voice in the Senate,” he wrote in an email.
He said the party is focusing on regaining momentum after last election, in which Students Party won two Senate seats out of 50. Swamp claimed the other 48.
“There’s no denying our party took a large hit last semester,” he said. ”The way to rebuild, we believe, is not to overextend ourselves ... but to pinpoint the (races) we know can provide fruitful outcomes for us.”
Klayman said this strategy will promote awareness of political agendas on campus.
“Doing so will hopefully not only allow us to run a more efficient campaign, but also open students’ eyes to the incredibly one-party dominated system that governs the Student Body,” he said.
Susan Webster, the Swamp Party spokeswoman, said the absence of a Students Party executive ticket will not change Swamp’s campaign strategy.
“The Swamp Party will continue to reach out to all students throughout campus to ensure that all students’ voices are heard,” she wrote in an email.
Kreitzer said Taco Libre’s approach to elections stands out because it is operating on a $0 campaign budget. The party will mostly be using social media to spread the word.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/31/2014 under the headline "Students Party not running executive ticket"]
