The Editorial Board’s ASUCD spring 2026 elections endorsements

Vote to choose the next students representing you in student government

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD — opinion@theaggie.org

With this week’s spring quarter elections for the Associated Students of the University of California, Davis (ASUCD), the window for you to cast your vote is now open. From now until this Friday, April 24, you can submit your votes for ASUCD president and internal vice president,  the six available Senate seats, the international student representative (ISR), the transfer student representative (TSR) and the student advocate. The California Aggie’s Editorial Board encourages 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 of the 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 one open position for the executive ticket, TSR, ISR and student advocate. There are no candidates for the external affairs vice president ticket, which has one open seat. Regardless of who you cast your vote for this week, utilizing your voice in this election is important. Please consider the following: 

While ASUCD elections use a ranked-choice system, the endorsed candidates below are not listed in order of preference. The Editorial Board has ranked Senate candidates alphabetically for purposes of this article.

President and Internal Vice President — Luis L. Garcia and Rosa Linda Martinez, Viva Slate 

Luis L. Garcia and Rosa Linda Martinez exemplify everything ASUCD and the UC Davis student body need. Garcia previously served as an interim senator for the Association, and has ample experience planning successful events and coordinating professional teams. Martinez, his running mate, is also familiar with our student government, having been involved with the Davis community (both on and off campus) and working within the ASUCD Senate across the past year. As a team, they embody the values of their slate: Viva (visibility and longevity, increasing opportunities, voicing student engagement and acts and action). 

The Editorial Board recognizes and appreciates Garcia and Martinez’s shared passion for uplifting marginalized communities, emphasizing transparency within the Association and providing opportunities and resources to all students. We wholeheartedly support their legislative plans to work within ASUCD to support union labor leaders, work to make UC Davis a sanctuary campus and continue community and cultural programming. We believe in their ability to guide our student government with the best interests of our student body in mind.

Transfer Student Representative: Fayrouz Mishak, Sawt Slate

Mishak is running as part of the Sawt Slate for the position of TSR. She is passionate about advocating for student needs, especially for transfer students, so they can excel both socially and academically. If elected, her priorities are to expand basic needs for transfer students, student parents, re-entry students and veterans, and she plans to implement a free childcare program so that student parents can focus on their education and careers while getting the support they need. She also wants to improve mental health services for these populations and increase opportunities for students to go to graduate school. Furthermore, she emphasizes the desire to help students further connect with their community through consistent communication and partnerships with RSOs. Mishak’s previous experience also demonstrates her willingness to implement her initiatives; in high school, she cofounded the Global Student Union to serve first-generation students, where she partnered with the College and Career Center to help students prepare for college and the application process. The Editorial Board believes that Mishak’s firm values and passion for serving the community make her a strong candidate for TSR.

International Student Representative: Shaina Taebi, Sawt Slate 

Shaina Taebi showed strong promise and a tangible willingness to advocate for the communities on campus that need representation the most. Her priorities include promoting on-campus safety and unity, focusing on ethical and transparent spending and addressing federal changes to immigration policy that are impacting international and undocumented students at UC Davis. Her experience as an interim senator in fall 2025 and experience as a legal intern to an immigration attorney for four consecutive years also make her a well-suited candidate. In addition, her call for the prioritization of outspoken communities across campus resonates deeply with the current needs of our student body. These are values that reflect very strongly for an international student representative; her drive to promote access to basic needs resources, expand on-campus cultural events and her ample knowledge of federal and state legislation that can potentially impact international students make her a strong candidate for ISR. 

Student Advocate: Salma Mahmodi

Currently working as a case advisor for the Student Advocate Office, Salma Mahmodi is the only student advocate candidate with direct experience and knowledge of the inner workings of the office, which aims to provide peer support to student or student groups involved in disputes with the university. Building off of the office’s current operations, Mahmodi plans to increase support for international students disproportionately impacted by university academic integrity policies through implementing translation services and to take proactive steps to clarify artificial intelligence-usage policy across colleges. Given Mahmodi’s deep understanding of the position’s primary responsibilities, The Editorial Board believes she and her team will be able to equitably provide support and guidance to all students working through the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs (OSSJA) conduct process. 

Senators:

1. Frida Sol Alvarez, Viva Slate 

Political chair of Las Raíces Pre-Law Student Association, staff member at the Undocumented Student Resource Center and an academic community counselor for Chicana/o/x Studies, the Editorial Board is confident in Frida Sol Alvarez’s commitment to collaborating with registered student organizations (RSOs) and campus departments to expand student access to basic needs and services. As a senator, Sol Alvarez plans to create a meal swipe donation program for students facing food insecurity, increase ASUCD support of new and soon-to-be RSOs and expand coalition-building efforts across campus to ensure student safety and civic engagement. A member of the Viva Slate, Sol Alvarez is a dedicated advocate for cross cultural solidarity and representation on campus. 

2. Lucia Holombe, Bitchier slate 

Running with the Bitchier slate, Lucia Holombe’s campaign is focused on basic needs. She plans to expand access and advocacy for menstrual and safer-sex products, while collaborating with ASUCD units and RSOs that are already working to do so. Holombe hopes to expand outreach to groups that are disproportionately affected by lack of access to basic needs. She also hopes to work with RSOs and Davis musicians to host benefit shows. Her experience as a founding member of Partridge Records has given her the skills necessary to make these shows a reality. In addition, her experience working as a campaign coordinator for External Affairs Vice President  Zack Dollins and volunteer work at Aggie Compass have given her an in-depth understanding of ASUCD. The Editorial Board was impressed by her professionalism and passion for serving the student body and are confident she would excel as an ASUCD Senator. 

3. Madeline Nadel, Independent

While Madeline Nadel initially ran on the Vision slate, she has since left the slate to run on her own personal values. She is focused on creating more programs that make it possible for students to connect; specifically, she is interested in implementing regular Aggie Community Nights that offer either recreational, advocacy-focused or wellness-based activities in partnership with RSOs on campus. Additionally, Nadel values promoting sustainability by creating move-in move-out drives in the fall and spring that allow students to exchange clothing and household items. Her goals are concrete, well-thought out and actionable, and the care and passion that she brings to her campaign — and her hopes of promoting collaboration not just at the Senate table but amongst the student body — are admirable. While many first-years come into the campaign unsure of the change they hope to realize, Nadel is a candidate with clear initiatives who is prepared to approach any challenge with an open mind and work to promote the needs of the student population. 

4. Afra Sadeghi, Sawt Slate

Afra Sadeghi is running on the Sawt slate for ASUCD senator. She is passionate about expanding basic needs access and ensuring that first-generation and immigrant students are aware of the support available on campus. She also aims to increase ASUCD outreach by highlighting the many resources students have access to. Additionally, Sadeghi hopes to focus on creating more campus unity by working with campus organizations and clubs to create more multicultural events and collaborations. She has strong visions for advancing future legislation on increasing student safety. Through her previous extensive experience in student government, commitment to student representation and prior attendance at numerous ASUCD Senate meetings, the Editorial Board has chosen to endorse Sadeghi. We believe she has the necessary qualities, experience and understanding of the Senate to excel in the position if elected.

5. Caleb Swaby-Pierce, Viva Slate 

This is Caleb Swaby-Pierce’s second campaign for senate, and since his first run last spring, he’s put in tangible work to make ASUCD more equitable and representative of the student population. He currently serves as the vice-chair of ASUCD’s External Affairs Commission, and has written and gotten several pieces of legislation passed. His work has included the creation of ASUCD’s Black Leadership Advocacy Committee, and he’s kept advocacy as a central pillar of his second campaign. We also appreciated his campaign’s focus on engaging and advocating for underrepresented groups, and we think it’s clear that he is passionate about having the Senate, and all the legislative bodies and committees under it, reflect the makeup of the student body. We believe that Swaby-Pierce has proven his dedication to the student body — and not just for the sake of moving up in the student government.

6. Lia Washington, Bitchier Slate 

If elected, this would not be Lia Washington’s first contribution to ASUCD. Her past work includes volunteering in Senator Jaliah Payne’s office and in the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission (ECAC). At her community college, she contributed to grassroots organizing and assisted with the South Bay Labor Council — aiming to benefit working families. From De Anza College to UC Davis, Washington has centered advocacy and empowerment. As part of the Bitchier slate, Washington’s campaign focuses on empowerment, equity and inclusion, and basic needs. Additionally, her priorities include accessibility, diversity within peer advising and Senate meeting livestreams, as well as drafting legislation to make UC Davis a sanctuary campus — a task she achieved in De Anza. The Aggie’s Editorial Board believes that Washington would bring a fresh energy to the ASUCD Senate, rooted in community and student success. 

Constitutional Amendments:

1. CA#96: Makes the student advocate an appointed, rather than an elected, position — ENDORSE YES

We think CA#96 provides an important safeguard in the Student Advocate’s Office (SAO), ensuring that the student advocate themselves is equipped, informed and trained for the role. Unlike other elected positions in ASUCD, the student advocate is nonpartisan — their job is to oversee independent case management services for students dealing with disputes with the university. While this amendment would make the student advocate an appointed position, and therefore take the decision away from the hands of the students, we believe this is a fair tradeoff to keep the SAO an effective service.

2. CA#98: Shifts the fall and spring election timelines to introduce an additional week of campaigning — ABSTAIN FROM ENDORSING YES/NO

The Editorial Board is hesitant to fully endorse or oppose CA#98, which would shift the ASUCD Elections timeline to create an extra week of campaigning. We recommend that students fully consider the effects of changing the timeline and weigh whether or not they believe extra time for candidates to campaign will result in increased voter turnout (the amendment’s stated purpose).