On the 30th January, Bailey Armstrong, Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) announced 21 candidates to run in the upcoming Trinity College Dublin Student Union (TCDSU/AMLCT) sabbatical elections.
Around 70 students gathered outside House 6 on Friday afternoon for the announcement of TCDSU Sabbatical Officer candidates. Before starting announcements, Armstrong noted that for the first time ever, eight positions are open, including that for the novel graduate officer. In addition, the upcoming elections will see voting on two referendums: one on modular repeats and one on reforming the Union’s Oversight Commission.
The announcement started in reverse constitutional order with the candidates for Editor for the University Times. In the only uncontested race, current Deputy Editor Harper Alderson has put her name forward. Unless nominations are re-opened by the student body during the election period, Alderson will win her race.
In the race for the novel position of Graduate Officer, there are three candidates: Mitzy An Jiménez, Féith Ní Chléirigh, and Ava Tuohy.
Two people are running for Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Mary Kate Ní Artáin and Hugh Ó Ríordáin, as well as Entertainments Officer. For the latter, Finn Hallwood and Danila Kitaev have put their names forward. Hallwood had unsuccessfully run for the position in last year’s election.
Jacob Barron, who was a candidate in the recent Presidential bye-elections, is running for Communications and Marketing Officer, alongside Matthew Kurt, Alice Moran and Promise Okafor.
Rossa Bolger and Lorenzo Cheasty have put their names forward in the race for Welfare and Equality Officer. Bolger is the Senior Member of the Council of the Phil. Cheasty is the current Housing Rights’ Officer and had come second in the race for President in the recent bye-elections.
Two people are running for Education Officer: Sam Brooks, the new Commuters Officer and Eve Martin, the current STEM Convener who recently proposed a motion to reform the Oversight Commission.
The race for President is the most contested, with five people running for the position: Jonathan Hoffman, Cathal Horgan, Amy Kennedy, Tadhg Ó Neill, as well as current TCDSU President Grace McNally. This is the only time in recent memory that a current TCDSU Sabbatical Officer has run again for their incumbent position.
After the announcement, candidates and campaign managers were directed to attend a EC-run seminar on important election information.
Additional reporting by John Crofton, Freja Goldman, and Charlie Hastings
