From student representation to transportation planning to budget allocation, choose which campaigns you will support this election cycle
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
With fall quarter elections for the Associated Students of the University of California, Davis (ASUCD) just around the corner, the window for you to cast your vote is now open. From now until this Friday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m., you can submit your votes for the available seats at the ASUCD Senate table. The California Aggie’s Editorial Board implores you to exercise your right to vote this election season — ASUCD has a large hand in how your student fees are allocated, and you deserve to have representatives who support your needs and best interests.
We invited all 13 Senate candidates for an interview, and our endorsements reflect those who we believe will best represent the UC Davis student body. There are six open Senate seats, and the Editorial Board chose to endorse five candidates.
Regardless of who you cast your vote for this week, utilizing your voice in this election is important. Fall ASUCD elections have a comparatively low turnout to the spring elections, so we especially encourage you to participate and cast your vote this week.
Disclaimer: While this article includes endorsements from the Editorial Board, not every member of the board was present for the interviews. The endorsements are not necessarily indicative of the entire board’s holistic opinion or each member’s individual endorsements.
Here are the Editorial Board’s endorsements for the fall 2025 ASUCD election cycle:
Rosa Linda Martinez Ruano, third-year sociology and community & regional development double major – UNIDAD Slate
As a member of the UNIDAD Slate, Martinez Ruano decided to run based on both her lived experience and dedication to better representing undocumented UC Davis students. If elected, Martinez Ruano plans on increasing retention for undocumented and first-generation students, empowering underrepresented communities and reaffirming ASUCD connections with Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). Holding previous experience working as an administrative coordinator for SOL y LUNA, chief of staff for Senator Luis Leonardo Garcia and as chairperson of the Undocuscholars Advocacy and Aid (UAA) Committee, Martinez Ruano also holds relevant professional experience and a thorough understanding of ASUCD’s operations.
Nate Little, first-year political science major – Independent
It’s rare that we meet first-year candidates who have done as much prior research into ASUCD before running as Little has. Little surprised us with his breadth of knowledge of the Association’s issues and internal structures. If elected, we hope that Little will use and refine that knowledge through the gained first-hand experience he would acquire working within ASUCD.
We enjoyed his fresh ideas on ensuring senators are available and accessible to all students, with the continued promotion of office hours and potentially holding meetings in more public areas. Little’s understanding of the current budget deficit and his motivation to work on resolutions, in addition to his focus on being a representative for students, impressed the Editorial Board.
Ezra Rubin, third-year classics and international relations double major – Independent
Rubin’s prior experience on the table, as well as his reputation as a diligent legislative reviewer, speaks for itself. We believe that the Senate needs a candidate like Rubin to help maintain the level of self-scrutiny that any student government body merits.
We would also hope that, if re-elected, Rubin would be able to help support Aggie House — a student-led, transitional housing shelter — and see the Vital Emergency Shelter and Transitional Assistance (VESTA) subunit through to the end of its first year. During his first term, Rubin was actively involved in VESTA’s formation, and he has expressed a desire to support the program as it finds its footing.
Jenna Younes, fourth-year international relations major – Warda Slate
The Editorial Board valued Younes’ experience on the Senate table. We hope that, if re-elected, Younes will be able to continue the projects she has dedicated herself to in her term and make deeper connections with units across the Association.
The Editorial Board also appreciated Younes’ commitment to ethical spending; she has served as chairperson of the Ethical Spending Committee in the past and expressed interest in holding that role again in the future. She has demonstrated conviction in continuing the pursuit of transparent and ethical financial activity within ASUCD, and we have confidence that she will continue the work she began in her first term into her second. We also think that Younes’ campaign goals of protecting student activists and safeguarding rights for student activism more broadly are especially relevant and necessary.
Kelly Zamudio, fourth-year political science and sociology double major – UNIDAD Slate
We appreciate Zamudio’s dedication to improving representation in the Association — both as vice-chair of the Academic Affairs Commission and through her work in the Transfer Outreach Program at Undergraduate Admissions. She advocates for transfer students with plans to work on transfer student integration and the goal of having a transfer student on every ASUCD commission. She also advocates for families of mixed-status background and hopes to implement a legal absentee policy in syllabi.
Zamudio also values input from students and noted that she would hold monthly community meetings to listen to their feedback. As during the last time she sat before us in spring during her campaign for Transfer Student Representative, we took note of her clear passion and desire to serve the student body.
Written by: The Editorial Board
