For Student Services Vice President Laura Ellis, it was too little, too late.
After weeks of weighing a run for ASG president, Ellis launched her signature drive an hour before Friday’s 5 p.m. deadline and came up short.
Ellis had previously decided not to run against good friend and current ASG Executive Vice President Jordan Heinz, who had indicated to ASG executive board members early on in his term that he intended to run. But after regretting her decision all week, she said she realized their friendship would last regardless of an election campaign.
“I should have vocalized my intentions to run sooner,” said Ellis, a Weinberg junior. “The race would have been bad for ASG’s internal politics, but it could have been good for the campus.”
After changing her mind, Ellis frantically tried to get the required 200 signatures in time, but ended up only getting 150 before the deadline. Ellis said she decided not to ask for a late deadline.
“I know the rules and wasn’t expecting a late deadline,” she said. “It is my own fault that the petition wasn’t done in time.”
Although he said Ellis is qualified to serve as president, Heinz said her absence from the election is a “big relief” to his campaign.
“Laura running would be one of the worst things I could have imagined,” said Heinz, an Education junior. “You become so tight serving on board together and an election against each other would definitely add tension to that relationship.”
But current ASG President Adam Humann said having two candidates from ASG pitted against each other would be good for competition in the election.
“Having two qualified candidates makes the best person more obvious,” said Humann, a Weinberg senior. “Usually more than one person involved in ASG runs each year.”
Humann said Ellis never discussed a potential presidential run with him.
Now that she’s sitting out the election, Ellis said she’ll throw her support behind Heinz.
“My running had nothing to do with my feelings toward Jordan’s ability to do the job,” she said. ” I feel he’d be a great president.”
