EVAN CARAVELLI/Arizona Daily Wildcat Alistair Chapman, center, who garnered the most votes in last night's ASUA elections, celebrates victory with his campaign managers, Nick Green, left, a marketing senior, and Belmund Catague, an alumnus.

2,496 ballots cast in ASUA election

Alistair Chapman and Josh Shapiro will face off for student body president in the ASUA March elections after both advanced from the primary yesterday.

Chapman came out on top with 39.7 percent of the vote, and Shapiro garnered 24 percent in the Associated Students of the University of Arizona primary.

The announcement left Chapman teary-eyed and speechless.

He said he couldn't take the credit, but attributed his success to his awesome campaigning team and supportive friends.

"I am flattered and humbled that students trusted me and felt that their vote was safe with me," he said.

But he said that his campaign managers would be coming up with new campaign strategies tonight in order to start fresh tomorrow.

"We are going to do everything to rock the vote," he said.

ASUA outsider Josh Shapiro said he was surprised to come in second, because he considered himself a huge underdog.

As members of his campaign team patted him on the back, Shapiro thanked them for their efforts.

He also said he is now one step closer to reforming ASUA, but there is still a long way to go.

"ASUA is more concerned with pleasing club leaders than they are with pleasing the student body," he said.

Shapiro finished only 50 votes ahead of Amanda Meaker, who said she wished the two advancing candidates the best of luck.

Brian Raphel came in last with 14.3 percent of the votes.

"I greatly overestimated the number of partiers at this school," he said.

He also said students can still expect kegs, but unfortunately they will be off campus.

The winners of the ASUA primaries were announced to a group of more than 50 students.

Although the two candidates for executive vice president, Blake Buchanan and Sara Birnbaum, were uncontested, the primary allowed them to chart their progress.

Birnbaum, with 55 percent of the vote, finished ahead of Buchanan, who had 44.9 percent.

Birnbaum said she is optimistic about the future but will continue to do some hard campaigning next week.

"I am not afraid of hard work," she said.

Buchanan said he would be working harder next week to get people to know what he stands for.

"Now I know what I need to do," he said.

The administrative vice president position was also uncontested in the primaries, but Jordan Miller finished on top with 65.6 percent of the vote, while Clint Walls received 34.3 percent.

"I'm happy and excited about the rest of campaigning," she said. "It's important to keep getting out there."

Walls said students should expect to hear a lot more about him next week.

"The result wasn't unexpected, but I am confident we can make it up," he said.

All 20 senatorial candidates will continue on to the general elections Wednesday and Thursday.

2,496 ballots were cast in the primaries, compared to 1,905 students who voted in last year's ASUA primaries.

Dan Suh, ASUA elections commissioner, said he was pleased with the high turnout, especially because the voter demographics were close to even.

Although ASUA campaigned to attract voters with the weekly distribution of free Eegee's on the UA Mall, Suh attributed the successful turnout to the candidates.

"The candidates are working harder and are more informed than before," he said.

J.P. Benedict, president of ASUA, said more students voted because there were more presidential candidates than in the past.

He also said candidates this year campaigned harder than usual.

For the general elections next week, Suh hopes approximately 5,000 students vote.

Last year, 3,798 ballots were cast in the general elections.

The general elections will be held Wednesday and Thursday. To vote, go online to asua.arizona.edu.