While the presidential race is still up in the air, the Arizona Legislature tallies are in. And all the evidence from this year's state election has left us with one glaring conclusion - UA needs to lobby like mad.

Several candidates who ran for the state legislature had ties to the University of Arizona and could have served as effective advocates for UA causes. Unfortunately, many of them lost.

Demitri Downing, a Democrat running for the House of Representatives in District 14, actively campaigned on the UA campus but still lost his race. Considering that Downing is a UA law school graduate, our university would have had a direct advocate within the state legislature.

Jonathan Paton, a Republican and also a UA graduate, lost his race for state House District 13 as well. And Ted Downing, another candidate for the House or Representatives from District 13 and also a UA research professor, unfortunately lost his race.