Three Richmond freshmen represent all parties in election

Even though the gubernatorial election in Virginia was significant for the state and for the country, it held special value for a few University of Richmond students who voted for the first time.

The result was too close to call for most of the night, and the candidates fell into what Kerri O'Brien of ABC News in Richmond called on her Twitter feed a "[s]tatistical dead heat." Just as much of the Virginia electorate was split on whom to vote for, three Richmond freshmen each chose to vote for a different candidate.

The crowd was small for the election-viewing party in the Alice Haynes Room at Tyler Haynes Commons. Among the 15 to 20 students sat three first-year friends who had shown up to see the results come in. Each student had taken part in the voting process in a general election for the first time.

Cameron Lingo voted for Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis and said he identified himself as a Libertarian. "I voted for Sarvis because basically I only like McAuliffe enough to like him over Cuccinelli," Lingo said.

Although he was voting for a third-party candidate, Lingo said he thought all party systems had advantages, whether it was the traditional two-party system or a variation. He said he wished there were a third, more moderate party that could fall between the two traditional parties--Democratic and Republican--and play a role in the democratic process.

Alana Wiljanen voted for McAuliffe because she agreed with his positions on social issues, such as gay marriage and abortion. McAuliffe supports same-sex marriage, whereas Cuccinelli opposes it, according to a voter guide created by the Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP) and distributed through the Center for Civic Engagement's website. The voter

guide also shows that McAuliffe identifies as pro-choice.

A statement on McAuliffe's personal websites says he "strongly believe[s] that women should be able to make their own healthcare decisions without interference from Washington or Richmond."

Wiljanen said she believed social issues were prevalent, and the candidates should have a strong platform on which to stand.

Andrew Brennan, the last friend among the three and appropriately dressed in red, had chosen to vote for Ken Cuccinelli.

Brennan said he believed Cuccinelli's work as attorney general would be beneficial when fulfilling a major political position such as governor.

Brennan said he had also chosen to vote for Cuccinelli because he agreed with his position on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. Cuccinelli is officially against Obamacare, while McAuliffe supports it, according to the CEEP voter guide.

Although each of the freshmen voted for a different candidate, they all correctly predicted that McAuliffe would win the election.

"I think McAuliffe will win by two," Brennan had specifically suggested, and he wasn't far off. McAuliffe won by 2.15 points over Cuccinelli, according to the unofficial results from the Commonwealth of Virginia website. Within that 2.15-point margin, McAuliffe claimed roughly 46,000 more votes than Cuccinelli.

Brennan attributed his perspective on the outcome to his belief that McAuliffe outspent Cuccinelli and that Cuccinelli gained a very negative view with voters early on in the campaigns.

Wiljanen based her belief in McAuliffe prevailing on the numbers from exit polls, most of which predicted that McAuliffe would claim a close victory over Cuccinelli.

Lingo, having professed his dislike for Cuccinelli, said he would want McAuliffe to win if Sarvis did not.

Contact reporter Rebecca Wilson at rebecca.wilson@richmond.edu