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The “Team You for ASUNM” slate dominated Wednesday’s elections for the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico senate.
Eight of the 10 senators who were elected for a full senatorial term ran with Team You. Lyndsay Stapleton, who also ran with Team You, picked up a half term.
Sen. Rachel Williams and Sen. Grace Liu, both incumbents, were the only members of the “Aspire for ASUNM” slate elected.
Sen.-elect Kaitlyn Loafman, a sophomore majoring in elementary education, earned 730 votes out of the 1,705 cast, the highest of the 22 candidates.
Loafman said she was ecstatic to be elected.
“I don’t know how to even describe it,” she said. “I’m in shock, and I feel so blessed and thankful … It’s amazing.”
Now that she has been elected, Loafman said she is ready to take on her work as a senator.
“I just look forward to working with everybody and working for ASUNM and making a difference and helping students on campus,” she said.
Loafman said the support she has from family and friends contributed to her victory.
“I had a lot of support through all my friends that I have on campus and my sisters,” she said. “My slate is great. We worked hard and we never gave up.”
Loafman said she is grateful for the student body for helping her win a seat in the senate.
“I’m so glad for everyone that voted, and I hope that I can help you guys in every single way,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
Williams, who earned 677 votes, the most of any Aspire candidate, said the election results were a reflection of the slate’s campaign.
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“It’s really a testament to campaign day,” she said. “It really is how well you can get out there and campaign. Aspire for ASUNM maybe didn’t campaign as hard as the other slate, and so I think that’s what we’re seeing today.”
Williams was first elected to the senate in the fall semester of last year. She served as chair of ASUNM’s Finance Committee.
Williams said that for her next term as senator, she plans on continuing the projects she worked on during her last term.
“I’ll be applying for finance chair next semester and really pushing what I’ve already been working on, like transparency,” she said.
Though most of the Aspire candidates did not get elected, Williams said she will continue to work with the slate.
“I want to continue working with Aspire for ASUNM because they have really great ideas,” she said. “So I’ll keep collaborating with them. Even though they didn’t get elected, we’ll still be working as a team.”
Williams said she wasn’t sure if Aspire would run again in the spring’s ASUNM presidential elections.
“I can’t speak for all of them,” she said. “But they’re all really outstanding individuals. I really hope that they do. And I expect them to stay involved in ASUNM. And I’m sure they will.”
