Khoshreza, Owen gracious in SG election defeat

 

 

By Mary Kelley and Katie Perkowski

In a heated and close election, it would be easy to have hard feelings about losing.

Colby Khoshreza doesn’t have those hard feelings. He said he had a good time running and would do it again.

Khoshreza and his supporters on the Student Center patio held hands as they waited for the results of the Student Government election Thursday night. Khoshreza and running mate Laura Newton received 2,138 votes, 148 votes away from winners Ryan Smith and Kelsey Hayes.

After results were announced, Khoshreza hugged and thanked his supporters for their help. He congratulated the senators running on his ticket that were elected.

“I’m proud of my team and what we have accomplished,” Khoshreza said, “I wish Ryan Smith and Kelsey Hayes all the best and will do whatever I can to support them.”

Khoshreza’s platform included promoting diversity, increasing student health care and helping with more student transportation around campus. He hopes to stay involved on campus and help with other student organizations.

He said Thursday night he hopes SG would work for the students and keep all the promises from the campaigns.

Tyler Owen

Tyler Owen and running mate Jimmy Uebel hung out with friends an hour before the SG results were announced, playing cornhole in Uebel’s University Avenue backyard.

Surrounded by his staff, whose members Owen has been friends with since third grade, Owen said by running in the presidential election, he learned how much impact a few people can have on the university.

Owen, who works as a volunteer basketball coach and a night desk worker at Blanding II, said he had always wanted to run and decided to after hearing that Smith was running.

“Someone told me it’s a feat in itself that we got enough signatures to run,” Owen said.

Uebel said the team wishes they could have gotten more involved last year; Owen said they wish the would have gotten a ticket together earlier to get senators on his ticket and to get more fundraising.

At 8 p.m., as it was announced that the voter turnout was the highest UK has ever had at 20.5 percent, Owen clapped and said, “That’s what I wanted.”

Fifty-four dollars, 240 campaign fliers and 253 votes later, Owen said his team is happy with the way things went.

Owen and Uebel said they will run for something next year, but they have not yet made any decisions.