2014-II Election

## Executive Branch

### Major Executive

With incumbent Major Executive Nathan Maine (who was enjoying popularity due to successful policies, charisma, and continued distaste for his opponents) bound by term limits to leave office at the start of the new trimester, as he was in his third and final term, the position of Major Executive was open. This encouraged several hopefuls who wanted to get into the race. Jackson Mearl of the Union Party, who served as Chairman of the Joint Command Council for most of Maine's three trimesters was an obvious candidate, as was Ryan Bleitze (Authority Party), who had served as Deputy Speaker of the Administration in Maine's first term and then joined the Executive Branch in 2013-III as Head of the Treasury where he had served since. Edward Stenbach (Establishment), Deputy Speaker of the Administration in Maine's second term (including during the Halloween Shutdown who later joined the Executive Branch as Chief Attorney in the beginning of 2014, also threw his name in, hoping to revitalize conservatism after a year of a Progressive Major Executive as well as to rebuild the cracked and largely unpopular Establishment Party.

The three of them participated in a debate on April 14 and 15 where they publicly argued and fought over particular issues like the Desolaran Civil War, recruitment incentives (raising or lowering), foreign affairs, and business incentives. The election began on April 16, with Executives Rice, Plecrov, Kaye, and Rice all in support of Bleitze; Executives McDearny, Mearl, Crick, and Sessions in support of Mearl; and Executives Ascencia and Stenbach in support of Stenbach. Major Executive Maine, in keeping with tradition, abstained from the vote and was impartial, meaning that with four for Mearl and four for Bleitze, the Executive Branch, for the first time ever, was equally divided in deciding who shall become Major Executive. Late on April 17, Major Executive Maine instructed the Administrative Liaison (Charles Sessions) to deliver to the Speaker a request to have the Administration decide between Mearl and Bleitze as to who shall become Major Executive. On April 18, with the Administration split itself three to three (with Administrators Tyler, Cannon, and Braugh voting for Bleitze; Administrators Brayer, Mearl, and Ehtya voting for Mearl), the Speaker of the Administration cast his tie-breaking vote in favor of Ryan Bleitze, meaning that Bleitze would become Major Executive effective May first, 2014.

However, as the Administration was voting, it became known to the Executive Branch that Fenner Plecrov (Head of Naturalization) was a Desolaran spy acting against the Triumvirate government. As Bleitze would not have won without Plecrov's vote, this created extraordinary drama and an unruly circumstance within the Triumvirate.

### Minor Executive

The only candidate for Minor Executive was Chief Attorney Edward Stenbach (former Deputy Speaker of the Administration), who was a member of the Establishment Party. As he was unopposed, he would become Minor Executive with the start of the new trimester.

### Senator

A second Senator position was added so each candidate cast two votes. Three candidates ran for the two Senator seats. Incumbent Clark McDearny (Union) received 23 votes, Vulpes Arenas (Establishment) received 21, and Ronald Afferson (Authority) only received 10, meaning that Clark McDearny would go on to serve a second term as Senator, with Vulpes Arenas taking office on May 1 in the new trimester.

## Administrative Branch

A total of 27 ballots were cast and the election was called on April 16 with the following results ("i" designates incumbency):

* **LUKE CANNON (P) (i):** 27 votes (unanimously elected)
* **ALLISON BRAUGH (P):** 25 votes
* **CARLSON TYLER (P) (i):** 18 votes
* **JOHN BRAYER (L) (i):** 27 votes (unanimously elected)
* **BRADFORD DURAND (L):** 24 votes
* **AARON EHTYA (U) (i):** 26 votes
* **HARRISON MEARL (E) (i):** 15 votes

With seat allocation, the Progressive Party (with a total of 70 votes between all candidates) received three seats, Libertarian two seats, and Union one seat. Incumbent Harrison Mearl from the Establishment Party lost reelection and did not receive a seat.

Luke Cannon was elected as the Speaker of the Administration, receiving four votes (all from his party and Aaron Ehtya), with John Brayer as Deputy Speaker.