Election Season Timeline & Important Dates

Elections Results 2025

Total Voter Count: 1498

Mental Health & Wellbeing Fee Referendum 

CU Denver is proposing the creation of a Mental Health & Wellbeing Fee to enhance access to holistic wellness services that support student success both inside and outside the classroom. 

The proposed fee is $92.00 per semester, with a planned reduction in the existing Student Services Fee, resulting in a net increase of only $62.00 per semester, beginning Fall 2025. The revenue would directly support expanded services such as individual counseling, group therapy, wellness workshops, peer support programs, and outreach efforts—all with the goal of improving mental health, emotional well-being, and student retention.  

Do you support the implementation of the Mental Health & Wellbeing Fee? 

Yes – I support the implementation of the fee - 922 

No – I do not support the implementation of the fee. - 567 

CU Denver Student Government Association (SGA) Elections – Spring 2025 

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official voice of CU Denver students. SGA advocates for meaningful change, enhances campus life, and ensures student needs are heard and represented at every level of the university. From shaping policies and launching initiatives to supporting student organizations and promoting student wellbeing, SGA is dedicated to making CU Denver a stronger, more inclusive community for all. 

President/Vice President 

Mitchell Mauro/Juan Diaz - 552 

Jalissa Vega/Elizabeth Thomason – 513 

College Council Representative - Business School 

Andy Xiao – 879 

Write Ins: 

• Selena Strasheim - 1 
• Louie Le – 33 
• Joseph Lennon - 1 
• Juan Diaz – 1 
• Orion Hollinjujuorth – 1 
• Logan Le – 1 

College Council Representative – College of Architecture and Planning 

Michelle Favorite – 902 

Write Ins: 

• Tegan Gough – 2  
• Aiden Scott – 1 
• Elisa Riacurte Pena – 1 

College Council Representative – College of Arts and Media 

Micaela Delarosa – 465 

Madeline Miller – 416 

Write Ins: 

• Cass Kaalii – 1 
• Orion Hollingworth - 1 

College Council Representative – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 

Majula Ceesay - 325 

Faduma Abdile – 365 

Tejaswi Baggam – 174 

Write Ins: 

• Griffin Geiger – 1  
• Richard Herman – 1  
• Kenneth Liu – 1 

College Council Representative – College of Education and Human Development 

Write Ins: 

• Madison Alexander – 1 
• Ayatt DeRaad – 1 
• Jyothi Kela – 60 
• Kyoto Kela – 1  
• Kyle Thuman – 1 
• Charlie Parker – 1 
• Eliana Frye – 1 
• Mika Gals – 1 
• Diandra Walker – 1 
• Isabella Luna – 1 
• Elisa Pena – 1 
• Elius De La Cruz – 1 

College Council Representative – College of Engineering, Design and Computing 

Write Ins: 

• Jacob Sims – 1 
• Sharadhha Tandel – 1 
• Varun Thapa – 12  
• Samuel Post – 1 
• Syna Joseph – 1 
• Elmer Hernandez – 1 
• Vicente Ramos – 1 
• Aiden Smalley – 1 
• Taahirah Filavloa – 1 
• Elisa Pena – 1 
• Kathryn Jones – 1 

College Council Representative – School of Public Affairs 

Najma Ahmed – 798  

Write Ins  

• Selena Strasheim – 1 
• Elisa Pena – 1 

Director, Communications 

Jess Shelton – 805 

Write Ins: 

• Sharadhha Tandel – 58 
• Taylor Johnson –1  
• Elisa Rens – 1 

Associate Director, Communications 

Bharath Kumar Lakkakula – 842 

Write Ins:  

• Joseph Lennon – 1 
• Orion Hollingworth – 1 
• Elisa Pena – 1 

Senator at Large (Vote for up to 15): 

Armando Jarmillo – 452 

Rishitha Nileshkumar Patel - 452 

Sumit Shah – 414 

Mariam Waite - 412 

Supriya Gosavi - 397 

Jackson Elliott - 376 

Mike Leaser - 349 

Jared Bynum - 326 

Prateek Gothwal - 302  

Write Ins: 

• Selena Strasheim – 1 
• Joseph Cennon – 1 
• Richard Herman – 2 
• Orion Hollinssworth 2 
• Dyllan Anson – 11  
• Carlton Ivy – 1 
• Grant Perkins 1 
• Evan Meagher1 
• Maha Shiek – 1 
• Ben Tan – 1 
• Laryssa Martinez – 1 
• Elisa Nicaurte – 1  
• Blake Bui – 1 
• Taylor Johnson – 1 
• Zane Youssef – 1 
• Charlotte Gram – 1 
• Nico Deleuan – 1 
• Jackson Lay – 1 

CU Denver Student Government Association (SGA) Constitution – Proposed Amendments 

The Student Government Association (SGA) at CU Denver serves as the voice of the student body—advocating for meaningful change, enhancing campus life, and ensuring that student perspectives are represented at every level of the university. Whether it’s improving policies, supporting student organizations, or leading initiatives that create real impact, SGA is dedicated to making CU Denver a better, more inclusive campus for all.

Do you approve the revision of lines 127 and 128, which currently state the outdated name “Engineering and Applied Science” to the updated name “Engineering, Design and Computing”? 

Yes – I approve updating the name to “Engineering, Design and Computing” in lines 127 and 128. - 974 

No – I do not approve this update. - 97

Do you approve the revision of line 131, which currently states the outdated role name “Director of Events”, to “Associate Director of Communications” in order to best serve the Senate Body through the work of Public Relations? 

Yes – I approve updating the role name to “Associate Director of Communications” in line 131. - 938 

No – I do not approve this update. - 159 

Do you approve the revision of line 146, which previously stated “Each committee shall nominate their own chair, through a vote”, to now read “Each committee shall nominate their own chair through a vote with the exception of the Finance and Funding Committee and the Judicial Committee”, ensuring that the Finance and Funding Committee and the Judicial Committee will be led by executive nominees? 

Yes – I approve the revision to the committee chair nomination process as stated. - 870 

No – I do not approve this update. - 147 

Do you approve the revision of line 237 to read, “beginning the day after the Spring CU Denver Commencement Ceremony”, in order to clarify the official start date for all regularly elected offices and ensure a smooth transition for incoming and outgoing members of the SGA? 

Yes – I approve the revision to clarify the start date for elected offices. - 960 

No – I do not approve this update. - 67 

Do you approve the revision of line 278, which previously stated “From the date of submission of Articles of Impeachment, Judicial has 10 (ten) business days to finish inquiry process”, to now read “From the date of submission of Article of Impeachment, the Judicial Committee has 10 (ten)”, in order to correct the grammatical error and ensure clarity and smooth interpretation of the SGA Constitution? 

Yes – I approve the grammatical correction in line 278. - 938 

No – I do not approve this correction. - 84 

Do you approve the revision of line 305, which previously stated “A petition must contain a statement of specific reasons for proposed removal and be signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) of the CU Denver student body”, to instead read “signed by at least ten percent (10%) of the CU Denver student body”, in order to align the recall petition standard with the ten (10) percent response rate required for referendums and ensure consistency with the standards set for the SGA? 

Yes – I approve the revision to lower the percentage requirement for recall petitions. - 865 

No – I do not approve this update. - 140

Do you approve the revision of lines 270-274, which previously stated “A special Senate Meeting may be called for by the President of the Senate or by a two-thirds (2/3) agreement of the Legislative Branch. Two (2) business days’ advanced notice must be given to the members of SGA. The student body must be informed of the special session at least thirty-six (36) hours before the start of the session. Quorum will be maintained at two-thirds (2/3) majority of the standing membership.”, to be struck and replaced with “This Special Senate meeting must follow all requirements that are outlined in Article III” in order to clarify that special senate sessions are not limited to impeachment procedures? 
 
Yes – I approve the revision to clarify the requirements for special senate sessions. - 881 

No – I do not approve this update. - 98

Do you approve the revision of lines 268-274, which currently contain information regarding special Senate sessions for the impeachment process, to instead be replaced with lines 108-114, which state: 

“a. A special Senate Meeting may be called for by the President of the Senate or by a two-thirds (2/3) agreement of the Legislative Branch. 
b. Two (2) business days’ advanced notice must be given to the members of SGA. 
c. The student body must be informed of the special session at least thirty-six (36) hours before the start of the session. 
d. Quorum will be maintained at two-thirds (2/3) majority of the standing membership.” 
 
This revision will establish clear requirements for special Senate sessions to aid the Senate Body and Senate Chair in fulfilling their respective duties. 
 
Yes – I approve the establishment of clear requirements for special Senate sessions. - 868 

No – I do not approve this update. - 77 

Do you approve the revision of lines 108-109 of the SGA Constitution, which previously stated “The Senate may adopt legislation, upon introduction by any member of the CU Denver SGA”, to now read: 

“D. The Senate may adopt legislation, upon introduction by any member of the Legislative Branch.” 
 
Yes – I approve the revision to allow any member of the Legislative Branch to introduce legislation. - 866 

No – I do not approve this update. - 106 

Please note the following for write-in candidacy (CU Denver Student Government Election Code, 2025) 

Definitions 

Declared Candidate - Any eligible individual, whether or not part of any Ticket, who has met all requirements for office as set by the SGA Hiring Packet, completed all election paperwork prior to the Declaration of Candidacy Packet deadline, and has not been disqualified in any way for violating Elections Regulations.   

Incumbent Candidate - An Incumbent candidate is one that currently or previously has ever held any SGA office.  

A candidate is considered incumbent regardless of whether they were elected, appointed, or hired into their previous or existing position.   

A candidate is considered incumbent even if they do not currently hold an SGA position but have held SGA office at all in the past.  

Write-In Candidates - A candidate may be permitted to be a “Write-In Candidate” in the race(s) of any office of SGA, and “Write-in Races” shall refer to those races of which no one (0) candidates (if applicable) has declared candidacy   

A Write-In Candidate must receive 30 votes to hold that office. If any Write-In Candidate does not receive at least 30 votes, then that position will remain vacant until an eligible student is selected through the SGA hiring process.   

Write-In Candidates can choose to run in contested races; however, they are held to the same rules/regulations that Declared Candidates must follow, and are expected to have the same knowledge of these rules and regulations.  

Write-in candidates are expected to turn in a Campaign Expense and Revenue Tracking Form and Campaign Team Form by Monday, March 11. Failure to provide such documentation will result in the Write-In Candidate’s removal from the races and invalidation of all votes cast.  

Write-In Candidates for Contestable races additionally shall not receive the same printing privileges within the Office of Student Life, shall not appear on any SGA social media, and shall have the maximum “point limit” of infractions set to five (5) points for that Election Week. 

Write-In Candidates for the Executive office must meet the same requirements as to the definition of a “Ticket.” Any Write-In votes for the Executive Team with only one candidate shall be invalidated.  

Dear Voters: 

On behalf of the election commissioners, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you for participating in the democratic process by casting your vote. Your engagement and commitment to shaping the future of our community through your vote are truly commendable. Your voice matters, and your choice makes a difference. We also want to express our appreciation for your patience, cooperation, and respect for the electoral process. Your support contributes to the smooth and successful conduct of the election. Thank you for your civic duty, your dedication to democracy, and for being an active participant in this important process. 

With sincere thanks, 

Griffin M Geiger, Elections Commissioner, Undergraduate Student 

Rithik R. Ragupathi, Elections Commissioner, Graduate Student 

Jarrick V. Brown, Elections Commissioner, Director of Student Life 

Juju N. Spray, Elections Commissioner, Coordinator for Student Organizations 

4.18.25 

Kelsi M. Dew, Elections Commissioner + Elections Advisor, Assistant Director of Student Engagement

Student Government Elections Open!

Closes April 18, 2025 

Meet the Candidates