In hopes of getting voters to meet their candidates, Inspire Party will hold a public forum Monday, one day before Student Government Fall elections begin.
SG Fall elections will take place Tuesday and Wednesday to fill 50 seats in the Student Senate based on residential areas. Two political parties and two independent candidates registered, with 43 of the 50 seats contested. This is the first time SG elections have been this contested since Fall 2015, when Access Party and Impact Party went head-to-head over 47 seats, according to Alligator archives.
In an email sent at about 10 p.m. Wednesday night, Inspire Party President Ben Lima invited both independent candidates — Adrian O’Sullivan, who’s running for Yulee Area, and Trevison Clark, who’s running for Murphree Area — and Impact Party President Ben Auyang to participate in a public forum.
The email said the forum will be moderated by TJ Pyche, the outreach and student programs coordinator at the UF Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
“A public discussion on the issues facing campus is the ideal way to show mutual respect and showcase the solutions we each plan to offer,” Lima wrote in the email.
By noon Thursday, both Clark and O’Sullivan said they would participate, Lima said. As of press time, Lima said he hadn’t received an answer from Auyang regarding Impact Party’s attendance.
“I hope Impact agrees with the notion that voters need to hear from all different parties and candidates involved in the election,” Lima said.
One of Impact Party’s campaign managers, Kylie Werk, said her party hadn’t responded to Inspire’s request as of Thursday night because there are party general body meetings for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights.
“We don’t have time available,” Werk said. “Obviously we’d love to go to a forum and speak to students, but because of Irma, our schedule is squished together.”
Werk said Impact will probably respond Friday, suggesting a different time and day.
Impact doesn’t want to send Auyang by himself, Werk said, because that would prevent Impact candidates from listening and better understanding their party president’s ideas and hearing the other forum participants’ views.
“It’s always nice to understand the competition, for lack of a better word, so we can further our ideas in depth and explain what sets us apart,” Werk said.
Lima said Inspire Party decided to hold the forum because traditionally the SG Elections Committee only holds a debate in the Spring. He said if Impact decides not to participate, the forum will still be held.
“We’re just trying to make it easy for voters to get the information they need,” Lima said.
The moderated forum is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at the Pugh Hall Ocora, Lima said. There will be opening statements and a chance for audience members to ask questions.
When O’Sullivan read Lima’s email, he was excited to connect with voters, as well as people he could potentially work with if he’s elected, he said.
Clark said he thinks holding the event is an “excellent idea.”
“I think any chance for a debate is always a positive thing, especially when it’s organized in a way that allows for a civil discussion of issues,” Clark said.
