Jonathan Harb and Omar Parbhoo, the Student Government presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the “L.S.You” campaign, dropped out of the race Monday. Harb and Parbhoo — the only candidates on the “L.S.You” ticket — said they will not endorse any other candidate.
Parbhoo said in a news conference that the campaign has gained more support than they ever thought possible. He said he thought the “L.S.You” campaign would get enough to make it into a runoff — something they never expected — which would waste the students’ time and other candidates’ money.
Parbhoo said he and Harb did not go into the campaign expecting to win or lose — only to raise issues. Parbhoo and Harb made a point of spending no money on their campaign.
“We started because there were a lot of issues that weren’t being addressed,” Parbhoo said, adding that those issues were the “driving force” of the “L.S.You” campaign.
The “L.S.You” campaign’s primary goal was to get students to vote, Parbhoo said.
“A lot of people who had never voted before said they were really excited about voting,” Parbhoo said.
Harb said dropping out was not a difficult decision because they are confident that each ticket will carry on their issues.
“Our issues will live on no matter what the outcome of the election,” Harb said.
Parbhoo also commented on his ticket’s “zero-dollar” campaign policy.
“It’s not about the money,” Parbhoo said. “It’s about the issues and the students.”
Harb said that though he and Parbhoo are no longer running in the SG elections, they will continue to address campus issues by staying connected to the winning candidates and working for their important issues.
“We will continue to fight,” Harb said. “We don’t think that we’re done.”
Harb also said he and Parbhoo will also keep their Web site up to help reach students.
Parbhoo said he thought the most important issue on campus was the lack of student voters.
“It’s appalling that people do not vote,” Parbhoo said.
Rachel Spinner, vice-presidential candidate on the “In Focus” campaign, commended Harb and Parbhoo and said she and presidential candidate Heath Hattaway are ready to finish out their campaign.
“We would like to incorporate their views with ours,” Spinner said.
Michelle Gieg, presidential candidate on the “Making it Happen” campaign said the “L.S.You” campaign represented what a campaign should be.
The campaign reached out to individual students, Gieg said, and she added that the “Making it Happen” campaign is trying to do the same thing.
Harb said he and Parbhoo would not say whom they personally are voting for.