More first-time electees are poised to hold councillor seats than returners

SAMU’s students’ council will have plenty of fresh council members, according to official election results.   

Eight of the 14 council members are newcomers, including first-time runners Elizabeth Russell and Shanna Villasenor, who tied for the top spot at 553 votes each. Liam Wilson, who unsuccessfully ran for council last year, was finally elected. 

Returning councillors include Tolu Dare, Moselle Namoc, Olad Ayodeji, Vincent Trinh, Christian Galera, and Maade Okai. 

Eight other candidates were unable to secure seats—Jencel Diaz was the closest, falling short by only six votes, and Earl Collier received the fewest votes at 169. Seun Sadare lost her seat, and returning candidate Izzy Reyes announced he was disqualified. 

Many candidates emphasized themes of affordability, inclusivity, accessibility, accountability, advocacy, and mental health support in their campaigns, promising to bring positive change on and around campus. 

A total of 1,557 (nine per cent) of the eligible 17,327 voters cast their ballots in the election. 

Despite marking a 0.4 per cent increase in eligible voters from the 2023–2024 election, the overall turnout remains low. 

The complete chart of the successful candidates is as follows:

• Elizabeth Russell
• Shanna Villasenor
• Tolu Dare
• Moselle Namoc
• Olad Ayodeji
• Shina Adeshina
• Dalya Abougoush
• Vincent Trinh
• Christian Galera
• Jean Pierre Moreno
• Liam Wilson
• Kris Ravelo
• Anna Campmans
• Maade Okai

225 votes separated the top finishers, Russell and Villasenor, from the lowest-scoring winner, Okai. 

SAMU student councillors meet once per month. Stay tuned for the new council’s first meeting.