Two new slates, three total, to run 19 candidates in May USAC election

Nineteen candidates will run in the upcoming spring election, the undergraduate student government Election Board confirmed Saturday.

Three slates, or student-run political groups, will be running candidates in the upcoming Undergraduate Students Association Council election in May. Two of the three slates, Waves of Change and MakeUCLAGreatAgain, are newly registered.

Two slates, Bruins United and LET’S ACT!, ran candidates in last year’s election. Bruins United currently holds eight positions on council and LET’S ACT! holds three.

Bruins United, which has run candidates since 2004, will run 11 candidates in the upcoming election. No candidates from LET’S ACT!, which has run candidates since 2013, will appear on the ballot in the spring election.

Rachel Kuria, slate manager of Waves of Change, said that Waves of Change aims to be an independent campus movement. Several of its political positions are similar to those of LET’S ACT!, a slate that formed in 2013 but is not running any candidates this year. Waves of Change will run three candidates.

Shubham Goel, creator of MakeUCLAGreatAgain, will be the only candidate running under the slate. Goel said MakeUCLAGreatAgain aims to be bold and revolutionary but has not yet disclosed the slate’s platform.

Four candidates running in the upcoming election currently hold positions on the council.

General Representative Danny Siegel will run to be the next USAC president. Transfer Student Representative Ariel Rafalian will run as the next Financial Support commissioner. Community Service Commissioner Zack Dameron and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Amy Shao will rerun for the positions they currently hold.

Eight positions are uncontested. A complete roster of candidates is listed below.

President

Denea Joseph, Waves of Change

Danny Siegel, Bruins United

Internal vice president

Sabrina Zeigler, Bruins United

External vice president

Ria Jain, Waves of Change

Rafael Sands, Bruins United

General representative

Zoe Borden, Bruins United

Sujith Cherukumilli, Bruins United

Inan Chowdhury, Independent

Shubham Goel, MakeUCLAGreatAgain

Ruchit Majmudar, Bruins United

Transfer student representative

Divya Sharma, Bruins United

Academic Affairs commissioner

Ashly Mohankumar, Bruins United

Campus Events commissioner

Jordan Dang, Independent

Community Service commissioner

Zack Dameron, Independent

Cultural Affairs commissioner

Brian Kohaya, Bruins United

Amy Shao, Waves of Change

Facilities commissioner

Sandra Rhee, Bruins United

Financial Support commissioner

Ariel Rafalian, Bruins United

Student Wellness commissioner

Christina Lee, Independent