18 candidates now running to fill 10 senatorial positions

Two ASUA candidates have dropped out of the race for senator, leaving 18 candidates to fill the 10 senatorial positions up for grabs in next month's election.

Current Sen. Gloria Macias, astronomy junior, and Brandon Peterson, physics senior, both withdrew from the Associate Students of the University of Arizona elections last week, citing time conflicts and personal reasons.

Macias, who was running for her second term, decided she wasn't sure if she had enough time to handle the position next year.

She said campaigning takes up a lot of time and that holding 18 units in the fall semester would make it hard to run a successful campaign while keeping on top of her classes.

"I really love the Senate, and if I could be a senator again without campaigning, I would," Macias said.

Macias plans to continue to be involved with ASUA, hoping to work as a club advocate or to get involved with the Arizona Students' Association.

"I would want to put in 100 percent, and I don't think I would be able to," Macias said. "I think my time would be better rendered elsewhere."

Peterson dropped out of the race for senator after he decided that he did not have a strong enough platform that specifically affected the students.

"I decided that it wasn't something I was passionate about, and I didn't want to waste the students' time or my time on something that I didn't put my whole heart into," Peterson said.