The CSM15 Election Candidate List

People have applied to run, CCP has sorted through the applications, so now we have an official list of candidates for the CSM15 election.

The candidate list is in

45 people posted campaign threads in the campaign section of the forums, from which CCP was able to endorse 40 people to run for office.

They are, sorted alphabetically, with their names linked to their forum campaign post:

• Alexis Finch – Brave Collective
• BlazingBunny – Northern Coalition
• Boernl – Pandemic Horde
• Brisc Rubal – The Initiative
• Darius Caliente – Unified Federation of Conifers
• Dhuras – Moist
• DutchGunner – Arataka Research Consortium
• ExookiZ – Initiative Mercenaries
• Gobbins – Pandemic Horde
• Ikarus Cesaille – Silent Company
• Innominate – Goonswarm Federation
• Insidious Sainthood – RvB – BLUE Republic
• Ironwulf – Evictus
• January Valentine – Science and Trade Institute
• Jurius Doctor – NullSechnaya Sholupen
• Juvenius Drakonius – Goonswarm Federation
• Kalen Tsero – Tsundere Triad
• Kenneth Feld – Pandemic Legion
• Komi Valentine – Tribal Intelligence Agency
• Leehams DaWildabeast – Pandemic Horde
• Loroseco Kross – Hard Knocks Citizens
• Maria Taylor – Fraternity
• Meredith en Thielles – Solyaris Chtonium
• Merkelchen – Goonswarm Federation
• Mike Azariah – The Scope
• Murray Rothbardo – Federated Alliance of Mafias
• PJHustle – Initiative Associates
• Pandora Singularity – Sixth Empire
• Phantomite – Same Great Taste
• Prospektor Schipplock – Goonswarm Federation
• Rheaha Preynar – Free Range Chikuns
• Steadyo – Pandemic Horde
• Stitch Kaneland – The Tuskers Co
• Storm Delay – Pandemic Horde
• Styxx – D.A.R.K.
• The OZ – Pecunia Infinita
• Torvald Uruz – Abyssal Lurkers
• UAxDEATH – Legion of xXDEATHXx
• Vily – TEST Alliance Please Ignore
• Xenuria – Goonswarm Federation

I am not sure why the five other candidates didn’t make the cut.  I was looking forward to watching maybe the next Gevlon take his place on the stage.  But, alas, it was not to be.  No doubt those corrupt GMs and devs spiked his run.

I also thought, since Nosy Gamer decided not to dive in and do his coverage of the campaign this year, that I might pick up some of the slack on that front.  And then I watched the candidate announcement Twitch stream from CCP and, seriously, the thought of having to listen to any more streams like that was enough to warn me off.  So the handy list above is about all you’re getting out of me for candidate info.

That said, I do want to explore the list a bit, at least from a meta level, just to point out some of the groups represented.  So who is on the list?

Incumbents

We have five members of CSM14 returning to run again.  While CCP announced term limits of a sort, those in the last CSM only get one mark against their three consecutive term tally.  So the following CSM14 members are running for another term.

• ExookiZ – Initiative Mercenaries
• Gobbins – Pandemic Horde
• Innominate – Goonswarm Federation
• Merkelchen – Goonswarm Federation
• Vily – TEST Alliance Please Ignore

All five of these candidates now hail from large null sec blocs, though last time around ExookiZ was part of Scary Wormhole People.  I wonder who recruited him into the Imperium?

The other members of CSM14, Aryth, Steve Ronuken, Dunk Dinkle, Olmeca Gold, and Sort Dragon (who replaced Killah Bee mid-term) declined to run again.

Past CSM Members

In addition, we have three candidates who served on past CSMs.

• Brisc Rubal – The Initiative
• Mike Azariah – The Scopex
• Xenuria – Goonswarm Federation

Null Sec Candidates

Overall, the bulk of candidates on the list are from null sec.  They are:

• Alexis Finch – Brave Collective
• BlazingBunny – Northern Coalition
• Boernl – Pandemic Horde
• Brisc Rubal – The Initiative
• Darius Caliente – Unified Federation of Conifers
• ExookiZ – Initiative Mercenaries
• Gobbins – Pandemic Horde
• Innominate – Goonswarm Federation
• Ironwulf – Evictus
• January Valentine – Science and Trade Institute
• Jurius Doctor – NullSechnaya Sholupen
• Juvenius Drakonius – Goonswarm Federation
• Kenneth Feld – Pandemic Legion
• Leehams DaWildabeast – Pandemic Horde
• Maria Taylor – Fraternity
• Meredith en Thielles – Solyaris Chtonium
• Merkelchen – Goonswarm Federation
• Murray Rothbardo – Federated Alliance of Mafias
• PJHustle – Initiative Associates
• Prospektor Schipplock – Goonswarm Federation
• Steadyo – Pandemic Horde
• Storm Delay – Pandemic Horde
• UAxDEATH – Legion of xXDEATHXx
• Vily – TEST Alliance Please Ignore
• Xenuria – Goonswarm Federation

Some 25 out of the 40 lay claim to some association with a null sec alliance or bloc.  Two of them are from non-bloc groups, Murray Rothbardo and Darius Caliente, though the Conifers and their allies do add up to about 2K players.  And then there is Jurius Doctor of NullSechnaya Sholupen, which is folding up shop again.  But he was in null sec when he posted.

Not all of the candidates on this list are running on a specific null sec platform… I am sure, for example, that ExookiZ is still about wormhole space… but that is where their banners are raised.  If you align with null sec you have to make the case why you shouldn’t be counted with them I suppose.

Not Null Sec Candidates

That leaves us with 15 non-null sec candidates whom I have tried to sum up in a few words based on their forum posts:

• Dhuras – Moist – WH small gang
• DutchGunner – Arataka Research Consortium – High Sec group PvE
• Ikarus Cesaille – Silent Company – High Sec newbie focus
• Insidious Sainthood – RvB – BLUE Republic – High Sec group PvP
• Kalen Tsero – Tsundere Triad – Low Sec PvP
• Komi Valentine – Tribal Intelligence Agency – High Sec roleplay
• Loroseco Kross – Hard Knocks Citizens – WH space
• Mike Azariah – The Scope – High Sec newbie helper
• Pandora Singularity – Sixth Empire – RP
• Phantomite – Same Great Taste – Low Sec
• Rheaha Preynar – Free Range Chikuns – Low Sec
• Stitch Kaneland – The Tuskers Co. – Low Sec PvP
• Styxx – D.A.R.K. – High Sec
• The OZ – Pecunia Infinita – Market/Industry
• Torvald Uruz – Abyssal Lurkers – Streamer and Abyssal PvE/PvP

My summaries might be subject to differing opinions, my few words leaving little room for nuance, so you should go view the forum posts of the candidates to read their words rather than take my word for it.  That pretty much goes for all the candidates really.

Who is Going to Win?

The CSM15 election doesn’t start until June 1, 2020, so we have almost two weeks of tedious campaigning to go through, during which one candidate or another may enhance or wreck their chances to be elected.  We can only hope for some drama really.  Otherwise the time will likely just put people to sleep and suppress voter turn out.

There is also the question of who is going to get spots on the various alliance and bloc ballots.  All 25 people on the null sec list won’t make the cut for that.  Several have mentioned that in their candidate posts, like Juvenius Drakonius, who is running for the Spanish language demographic.

But I can still hazard a guess now, since I like to make predictions, if only to measure them later against what actually came to pass.  So here is my outlook as of today.

Hard to see how they won’t be elected:

• Gobbins – Pandemic Horde
• Innominate – Goonswarm Federation
• Merkelchen – Goonswarm Federation
• Vily – TEST Alliance Please Ignore

Very likely if they get a good ballot position:

• Alexis Finch – Brave Collective
• BlazingBunny – Northern Coalition
• UAxDEATH – Legion of xXDEATHXx

Wild cards that might make the cut if they have a big enough support base:

• Brisc Rubal – The Initiative (Has to fight the “he’s guilty!” crowd)
• ExookiZ – Initiative Mercenaries (WH support still?)
• Insidious Sainthood – RvB – BLUE Republic (RvB is pretty big)
• Maria Taylor – Fraternity (If Chinese players vote)
• Torvald Uruz – Abyssal Lurkers (Streamer/content creator people have heard of)
• Mike Azariah – The Scope (Persistence paid off in the past)

That is a baker’s dozen set of names for ten slots.  I’d bet money on the top four and that at least seven of the ten will be from the null sec list.  We shall see.

Anyways, the campaign season is upon us.  Unless something out of the ordinary happens, my next post about CSM15 will be when elections begin.