Who will be our next representatives on the County Council and General Assembly? Who will represent students on issues such as economic development, transportation, crime and tuition? You will have the opportunity to choose in the upcoming elections Sept. 12 and Nov. 7. But first, along with SGA representatives Kyle Carson, senior vice president; Melissa Morales, vice president of academic affairs; and Daozhong Jin, vice president of financial affairs, I wanted to weigh in on the candidates:

♦ Martin O’Malley for Maryland State Governor. For the past few years, under Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s administration, the university has seen one cut after another. This year, however, Ehrlich announced the highest percentage increase in higher education funding across the nation – an easy thing to do when you have cut it year after year. It comes as no surprise this additional funding was given in an election year; while we appreciate the funding nonetheless, we need a governor with a genuine commitment to higher education. We believe Martin O’Malley is that governor, and if in office, we can expect more stable tuition rates over the next few years.

♦ The race for District 21 state senator is one of the most exciting races in the state. Going head to head are the incumbent, Sen. John Giannetti, and a member of the Board of Regents, Jim Rosapepe. Both Giannetti and Rosapepe have a history of working on student issues, and I expect both will continue to work with students. Giannetti always makes himself readily available to student leaders and he reaches out to the entire student body at his tailgates on the campus. Rosapepe has also shown dedication to improving the university by serving on the Board of Regents and lobbying heavily to stop tuition rates from rising. Instead of endorsing either, we encourage you to look at these candidates’ policy stances in the voter guidebook and on their websites.

♦ Barbara Frush, Brian Moe and Joseline Peña-Melnyk for District 21 state delegate. Both Frush and Moe, our current delegates in District 21, have worked hard on behalf of students. Frush co-sponsored the tax-free textbook bill and both of them have fought very hard to keep tuition costs down. Additionally, Frush and Moe have opened dialogue between students and policy makers about the rioting issue and they continue to work with student leaders to understand the issue. We urge Frush and Moe to continue to make themselves available to student leaders and continue to support legislation that keeps tuition low, makes improvements to Route 1, and increases safety measures in College Park.

Peña-Melnyk has served the university and surrounding community since 2003 when she was elected to the College Park City Council. Always a vocal advocate, she has led city and community lobbying efforts for safety improvements on Route 1. Additionally, she spearheaded a resolution in support of capping tuition increases at public universities in the state. She has served students well during her terms on the city council and we are confident that she will continue to work on behalf of students in Annapolis.

♦ Rushern Baker for County Executive. Jack Johnson, the current County Executive, has been unresponsive to the concerns of student leaders in the past. SGA members have met with him and his staff and despite repeated promises to take action on issues such as crime, he has always failed to do so. Additionally, economic development is a major concern for students this year, and Johnson’s shady record of awarding development contracts to close friends raises concerns. We believe it is time for a change and we urge Rushern Baker, if elected, to work with students on improving crime, traffic and development in College Park.

♦ Eric Olson for County Council. Olson has an extremely strong record of working with, and on behalf of, university students. Olson lobbied heavily for the creation of a City Council Student Liaison position, which has given students a voice in city issues. Additionally, in his nine years on the City Council, Olson has been a strong advocate for improving rental conditions, fire safety and crime prevention. Given his current commitment to working with students and his experience in College Park, he will be a great asset to students serving on the County Council.

Emma Simson is SGA president; Kyle Carson is senior vice president; Melissa Morales is vice president of academic affairs; and Daozhong Jin is vice president of finance.