Monika Leininger
Mleinin1@uwyo.edu
Michael Rotellini and Tyler Wolfgang are the new ASUW president and vice president, respectively, for the 2016-17 academic school year in the closest election since 2010.
Rotellini and Wolfgang won the race by a total of 62 votes.
“This is a dream come true, I know it sounds cliché but it doesn’t seem real. There has been so many months of hard work and preparation leading up to this moment,” newly elected ASUW President Michael Rotellini said.
The 2016 election had a large turnout for the general elections despite not holding a primary election this year. In 2015 there were a total 1,349 votes cast for the general election, whereas this year there was a voter turnout of 1,530.
The other ASUW president and vice president ticket, Tyler Julian and Donatellia Austin, respectively, displayed high spirits in regard to the close election and high voter turnout.
“There were a lot of similarities between our campaigns,” Julian said. “We raised a lot of awareness about things we are passionate about so I’m excited to see them move forward.”
Both parties admitted to having a fair and respectful competition exhibiting true sportsmanship.
“Honestly, we knew it was going be a tight race coming into it. We kept them honest and they kept us honest, which speaks a lot to their character,” Rotellini said.
The other ticket acknowledged Rotellini’s and Wolfgang’s compelling campaign and widespread support around the university campus.
“This experience was something really beautiful, getting to meet so many good people and great leaders,” Julian said.
The winning duo will be sworn in on April 26 and will immediately begin their positions in office. Rotellini and Wolfgang plan to get the ball rolling by setting a game plan with their newly elected senators and starting to tackle the subjects on their platform.
Rotellini and Wolfgang plan to address issues such as mental health and wellness on campus, as well as increasing communication between students and what the university has to offer for services.
Julian and Austin plan to stay involved with the student government and collaborate with other RSO’s and organizations across campus. Due to the close final count and support across campus, Julian and Austin said they might be inspired to run for office in years to come.
