This October 19th, Southwest students are being asked to vote for mayor for the first time.

No, this inaugural race isn’t the Minneapolis Municipal election that’s right around the corner, but the first of its kind at Southwest— an AP Government project.

The mayoral election of Southwest has no real stakes, the role of Mayor of Southwest holds no power.

There are 4 candidates this year, all but one have declined requests for comments as of the 19th at 9:00 AM.

Leo Seiler’s campaign Instagram features Dr. Littles Butler, herself. The candidate prides himself in his guitar playing abilities, tap dancing skills, and lack of broken bones. Leo’s campaign agreed to give a statement on the upcoming election, encouraging Southwest students to “Vote Leo because change is sexy!”

Tre Turner urges Lakers to Join the ‘Tre Train’ this year. Via Instagram caption, when asked why students should vote for Tre, the campaign answers that “Tre is a student athlete and is committed to making the Southwest Community more connected and happy”.

Tommy claims a vote for him is a “vote 4 communi-T”. His candidacy is based on uniting Southwest’s student body. His campaign is seemingly endorsed by the likes of Ms. Spears, CJ and Mr. Strong. 

Mo puts “the M in mayor… the S in [S]outhwest”. The campaign’s Instagram is loaded with possible endorsements and features, and a mission statement. If the phrase “for the people!” calls out to you, Mo is your candidate.

Positions are based on real ballot questions this year. Each candidate is running on policies relating to executive powers of the mayor, public safety, and rent control. 

This past Friday, AP Government teacher, Alex Hoselton, hosted 2 debates as a mayoral forum. Access was limited to those in the AP Government classes, which begs the question; is election providing equitable information to all voters at Southwest?

No matter the information provided, every Southwest student is provided the ability to vote on October 19th via a ranked-choice ballot. Students will be asked to rank the candidates, and results will be announced soon after. 

Be sure to vote on October 19th!!

Note: The Navigator is NOT endorsing any candidate, and encourages readers to do their own research.

Special thanks to guest interviewers Hayden Tourtelotte and Jack McIntyre for their coverage of the election!

LAST UPDATED 8:49 AM 10/19/2021