As Thursday’s election approaches, GUSA presidential candidates have been jockeying for support from student association representatives.

Several GUSA Assembly members have already thrown their support to Twister Murchison (SFS ’08) and Salik Ishtiaq (SFS ’07).

“[Twister] is definitely dedicated to the organization, plays by the rules and follows through on ideas,” Assembly member Katherine Ross (COL ’06) said. “In terms of his platform issues, I think it is important to note that he is listening to what student concerns seem to be, as well as anticipating other student needs and desires.”

Ross said that after working with Murchison and Ishtiaq on the Assembly during the past year, she is more familiar with the pair than she is with the other candidates.

Murchison and Ishtiaq are the only two candidates in the election with previous experience in the Assembly, having served a combined three terms in the representative body.

Not all Assembly members have chosen to endorse Murchison, however.

Assembly member Christina Goodlander (COL ’07) said that all of the candidates offer something different and potentially beneficial to GUSA.

“[Presidential candidate Khalil Hibri (SFS ’07)] is very passionate about Georgetown, and I believe that he would be a tireless advocate for students,” she said.

“[Twister’s] a very friendly guy who works well with lots of different people,” she added. “Either one would be a good GUSA president.”

Goodlander said that the ticket comprised of Gage Raley (COL ’07) and Oxana Miliaeva (COL ’07) will have a tough uphill battle to achieve the name recognition that will be necessary to win, but added that she would not rule out Clayton Keir (SFS ’07) and Pat Sullivan (COL ’08), who are campaigning as a write-in ticket.

“[Keir and Sullivan] are quite active in [foreign service fraternity] Delta Phi Epsilon, and as GUSA outsiders, would bring a new perspective to the office,” she said.

Assembly Speaker Ed Duffy (SFS ’07) has openly advocated for the write-in candidates, and serves as the pair’s campaign manager.

“They were the only ticket out there that seemed interested in actually promoting important issues that were relevant to students,” Duffy said. “They had solid ideas and a very positive attitude. Clay and Pat knew they had a very slim chance of winning, but wanted to run anyway – I think that says a lot about their motivations.”

“All of the other tickets have seemed to put their victory strategy ahead of their platform,” he added. “This is largely why I was so critical of the other platforms – it’s only recently that they’ve been developed.”

Duffy is not the only Assembly member who has actively campaigned for one of the pairings. Representatives Charlie Harrington (COL ’08) and Anthony Bonna (MSB ’09) have both joined the Murchison- Ishtiaq campaign.

Harrington, who serves as the campaign’s coordinator of special events, said that he has no doubts about Murchison’s abilities and qualifications.

“I can say with complete confidence and utter assurance that Twister is the backbone, the heart and soul, of the GUSA Assembly,” Harrington said. “He has never missed a meeting, and his contributions to our debates have always been poignant, effective and convincing.”

Duffy said that this election has been one of the most well-run he has seen at Georgetown.

“I’ve talked with Twister, Salik, Khalil and Geoff throughout the campaign and everyone has been extremely positive,” he said. “It’s been the cleanest campaign I’ve seen in the past three years and I don’t think there’s been any bad blood at all.”