Less freshmen are running for positions in Students’ Association Congress than last year.

The only contested race is for freshman class president, with three candidates. Races for freshman vice president and treasurer are uncontested, with just one candidate for each position. This is down from last year when three freshman ran for president, four ran for vice president and only one ran for treasurer.

SA executive vice president Julia Kennedy said the decrease in freshmen involvement could be a result of having elections during the second week of school. Last year, elections took place on the third week of school, so freshmen had more time to prepare than they did this year.

“I think they feel overwhelmed,” Kennedy said. “They’re like, ‘I’m not ready to be in student government, I don’t even know where my classes are.'”

“I don’t think a bunch of people know about it,” said Jaley McKinney, freshman biology major from Amarillo, who is running for freshman class president. 

McKinney said she received the information for elections in a flyer during Wildcat Week then sought out more information because she her high school student government experience.

“Its been a part of my life for the past four years so I wanted to carry it over to the college level,” McKinney said. “I want to be a voice for the students and just help things get heard.”

In total, only six races will be on the ballot for Wednesday’s election. Kennedy said students petitioned to run for other positions, including hall representatives, academic representatives and athletics representatives. However, those races will not be on the ballot, Kennedy said, and those candidates will instead go through an interview process.

“I think it’s better to have quality over quantity,” Kennedy said. “I would rather know them personally, and interview them, get to know what their goals are, and then decide myself, because I am the executive congressional chair.”

Kennedy said the SA bylaws allow the vice president to interview candidates for uncontested elections. The candidates for senior class president didn’t get enough signatures to petition to run by the deadline, which was Monday at 5 p.m. But Kennedy interviewed them and said they would still be on the ballot despite not getting enough signatures.

“It gives me a whole lot of grey area, but I just constantly try to think like, ‘student body, student body, student body,'” Kennedy said. “I could interview the senior class president people, and then decide for myself but I’m not a senior, so I have to offer that to the student body in order for them to vote as to who they would like to represent them.”

Freshman President

Jacob Pakele, ministry major from Burleson

Jaley McKinney, biology major from Amarillo

Sophomore President

Jonathan Ladd, political science major from Dayton

Madison Bradley, nursing major from Lancaster, California

Sloan Polvado, marketing major from Sugarland

Sophomore Vice President

Mikaela Clinton, advertising and public relations major from San Antonio

Monica Gallaga, marketing major from Baytown

Junior President

Tyler Hasenjaeger, political science major from Weatherford

Rachel Jones, political science major from San Antonio

Junior Vice President

Hannah Johnson, global studies and journalism major from Rosenburg

Max Preston, journalism major from Amarillo

Senior President

Adam Andrade, management major from Dallas

Alexandria Warren, animal science major from Houston