Benya Kraus elected TCU President

Junior Benya Kraus was elected Tufts Community Union (TCU) President for the next academic year, following online elections yesterday. Kraus, currently the Diversity and Community Affairs Officer in TCU Senate, ran unopposed in the election.

Krauswon 70.96 percent of the 699 votes cast, with 19.31 percent for write-in candidates and 8.58 percent abstaining, according to TCU Elections Commission President Klavs Takhtani. Voter participation this year was 12.34 percent, compared with 24.95 percent in last year's two-candidate election and 11.65 percent in 2015's uncontested election, according to 2015 and 2016 Daily articles.

"We were happy with the [turnout] result as we knew going in the motivation to vote is lacking with only one candidate," Takhtani told the Daily in an email. "We accredit that a lot to Benya’s campaigning and wish her a ton of luck as the next TCU Senate president."

Kraus said she is grateful to have been elected TCU President and appreciative of people's support, and she looks forward to carrying out her campaign platform. Her next objective, for the remainder of the semester, is to engage in discussion with student groups and campus leaders.

Additionally, Kraus noted that even though the election was not contested, voter turnout was important because it could lend greater recognition to her platform.

"I really want to be able to back this platform with as much student support as I can get," Kraus said.