UCDSU Election Update: Candidate list shrinks again as O’Dea drops out
In a surprising development in the SU elections, current Campaigns and Communications officer Katie O’Dea has dropped out of the race. In a statement on instagram, O’Dea said that withdrawing from the race was the best decision for her personally. She added that “there are still many areas that have much scope for improvement and further development: building on the momentum of The Great Donate; Student Representation and the Partnership Project to better empower and support Class Reps and part-time officers; improved student supports and facilities; affordable accommodation and adequate higher education funding; communicating and engaging with all students; and most of all contributing to a more equal society. I hope that next year’s team and teams going forward prioritise these things.”
This leaves Leighton Gray as the only viable candidate for the role of C&E. There is one other candidate who will be on the ballot, Rekha Vishnu Nagargoje, however they did not respond to requests to be interviewed by The University Observer, nor have they published a manifesto or made any social media pages for her campaign.