By: Greg Parlier and Sarah Brown, Editor in Chief and Contributing Writer

The Senate unanimously validated the 2012 Student Government elections March 19.

The Red Party ticket of Carlo Fassi and Mike Naughton won the Presidential and Vice Presidential seats with 74 percent of the vote during the March 6-7 elections.

Naughton, chief of staff for current President Matthew Brockelman, is looking forward to his increased role on the third floor of the Student Union.

“It is a great honor to be elected by the students, very humbling,” Naughton said. “We are looking forward to working with the students and on our campaign promises.”

Naughton said they will work on completing the transition into office in the coming weeks and building their new team, and their first order of business will be free printing, as they promised to students during their campaign.

Fassi, the current Senate President, said fighting tuition increases would play an increased role in their administration.

“This goal needs to be something student body presidents across the state need to focus on. We need to cause as much hell in that room as possible,” Fassi said about the Board of Trustees tuition decision meeting that took place March 20. “Next year, maybe we have 100 students in there.”

The Senate also approved 21 newly elected senators, 20 of which ran with the Red Party. Four others ran unopposed, and won by acclamation. No Red Party Senators did not get elected. Bejan Tolu, who ran without party affiliation, was the only non-Red Party candidate to earn a seat.

John Fails and Philip Sabado ran on the Moderate Green Party ticket. They did not run with any senators, which hurt their chances during the campaigning process.

Constitutional Referendum 12S-2565 passed on election day, but decreasing the GPA requirement for Student Government members from a 2.25 to a 2.0 did not.

Email Greg Parlier and Sarah Brown at news@unfspinnaker.com.