WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat J.P Benedict and ASUA Senator Andrew Hottovy await the primary election results last night. Benedict came out on top of the presidential race, winning just over 40 percent of the vote. Jered Mansell gained about 38 percent.

Presidential candidates Jered Mansell and J.P. Benedict advanced through the Associated Students of the University of Arizona primary last night, defeating Senator Travis Pritchett.

Benedict, director of the Freshman Class Council led the candidates, garnering 40.22 percent of the vote, while Mansell was close behind, acquiring 37.45 percent. Pritchett finished with 21.33 percent of the total vote.

"I knew it was going to be really close. I wasn't sure where Travis was going to be, he was kind of a dark horse," said Mansell, current administrative vice president.

Benedict commended Pritchett for his efforts, and now hopes that Pritchett's supporters will turn to him for leadership.

ASUA primary election results Presidential Debate · 7:30 p.m. in the Ventana Room of the Student Union Memorial Center. General Elections · March 11, 12 · To vote go to asua.arizona.edu. President · J. P. Benedict 40.22% · Jered Mansell 37.45% · Travis Pritchett 21.33% Executive V. P. · Scott Cheney 53.67% · Melanie Rainer 46.33% Administrative V. P. · Victoria Ruan 46.45% · Daniel Suh 27.90% · Talianna Kattan 25.65%

"Travis and I attracted a lot of the same crowd, now I'm just hoping I can get those votes," Benedict said.

In the administrative vice-president race, the only other contested office, senators Victoria Ruan and Daniel Suh will go on to face each other in the general election finishing with 46.45 percent and 27.9 percent respectively. Candidate Talianna Kattan, last year's assistant election commissioner, did not move forward, receiving only 25.65 percent of the vote.

Kattan expressed disappointment with the loss, though she is confident in the abilities of both Suh and Ruan.

"I think both of them would do a great job," Kattan said, though she still believes that she was the best candidate.

Kattan hopes to stay involved with ASUA next year, either by being a director of a program or working within the vice-president's administration. Kattan said that both Ruan and herself had discussed that regardless of the elections' outcome, and added that both have committed to appointing each other to a position once in office.

Ruan was pleased with the results, adding that she believed the pressure of the election had been alleviated by the primary.

"I've been working very hard," she said.

However, Ruan realizes that the battle for administrative vice-president is only half over, and that a large amount of effort still needs to be done to grab votes.

Suh was not present at the announcement of the primary election results.

The races for executive vice-president as well as senate were both uncontested, but candidates were able to utilize the primary to better gauge the progression of their campaigns.

"I had no idea coming here what was going to happen, but now I'm very confident," said executive vice-presidential candidate Senator Scott Cheney.

Cheney clenched 53.67 percent of the vote, while his opponent, lobbyist Melanie Rainer, received 46.33 percent.

While neither candidate had to worry about being eliminated from the primary, Rainer believes that she and Cheney have had to work harder to obtain votes because of a lack of publicity their race has received.

"I think a big thing with Scott and I is that we didn't have as much press coverage as the other candidates," Rainer said.

Jacob Rueben, Sarah Birnbaum, and Kara Harris came out on top in the senate race.

This year's election was the second since online voting was implemented and according to Elections Commissioner Jason Korner, more than 1,900 people voted, which more than quadruples last year's voter turnout.

"With so little advertisement on the part of ASUA I think it's a real testament to the candidates really getting out and letting people know, and talking to the different groups on campus," Mansell said.

Campaigning will continue this week and into next with candidates out on the UA Mall, wearing T-shirts publicizing their name or riding around in golf carts.

"There's still a lot to do," Benedict said. "We just need to get out there."

A presidential debate will be held tonight at 7 in the Ventana Room in the Student Union Memorial Center.