Gusmorino Wins Council Presidency

Paul A. Gusmorino '02 defeated four other candidates to take the Undergraduate Council presidency on early Saturday morning, winning the election with a larger margin of victory than the U.S. president-elect.

In an election that saw the highest voter turnout since 1997, Gusmorino had 1,634 out of 3,061 votes cast in the final round of vote allocation. His closest opponent, Stephen N. Smith '02, finished second with 1,118 votes in the last round.

Gusmorino's running mate, Sujean S. Lee '03, defeated four opponents to win the council vice presidency. She received 1,534 votes, compared to 1,022 for James C. Coleman '02 and 336 for Amias M. Gerety '02 in the final round of vote allocation.

Using the single transferable vote (STV) system, voters had the opportunity to rank each of the candidates. In each round, the lowest-ranking candidate is eliminated, and votes for that candidate are redistributed to those voters' second choices, until one candidate receives a majority.

The Election Commission declared Gusmorino the winner shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday. When the commission called Gusmorino at his victory party, the room--packed with supporters and bathed in pale orange, Gusmorino's campaign color--exploded in cheers and hugs.

"I'm excited about how good the council will be next year," he told cheering supporters.

Gusmorino and Lee ran on the motto of "We've done it before. We'll do it again"--referring to their past accomplishments on council, like the UC Books initiative and the first-year formal. Their future promises focused not on social issues but on pragmatic goals like salad at fly-by lunch and a CUE guide for concentrations.

"What we showed today is that a campaign of concrete ideas and experience can win," said Todd E. Plants '01, Gusmorino's campaign manager.

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said his past meetings with Gusmorino have made him excited to work with the newly elected president over the coming year.

"He has always been intelligent and thoughtful in those discussions," Lewis wrote in an e-mail message. "I have found my one-on-one conversations with him constructive as well."

Lewis, who is also a computer science professor, joked that he found Gusmorino's best attribute to be his academic interests.

"Computer science students are a terrific group and get the best education Harvard has to offer," he wrote.

Gusmorino's opponents rallied behind him, with a tone remarkably different from that which followed last year's election, when several unsuccessful candidates, including Frank X. Leonard '01, threatened to resign from the council.

"I'm happy with the winner," said opponent Justin A. Barkley '02, who garnered 154 votes.

Friends from opposing camps also joined Gusmorino in his celebration.

Barkley campaign manager Jeffrey A. Letalien '01 arrived at Gusmorino's party shortly after the announcement, bringing with him a bag of party supplies.

"This is our official concession," he joked. "Now you get the stuff from our party."

Smith waited for the results in his Adams House suite with friends.

"Paul will do a great job," he said.

Despite the loss, Smith said he plans to remain very involved in the council's activities.

"Anytime James and I have a lot of free time on our hands, something good is going to come of it," he said.

Gusmorino said he is already looking ahead to his next project. As his victory party broke up yesterday morning, he looked around the room and smiled.

"You know what I have to do now? Starting coding for next semester's UC Books," he laughed.