Governor Rick Perry’s platform about making college affordable through funding for financial aid programs wouldn’t affect the university since it is a private institution, a university political science professor said.

James Riddlesperger said for the state as whole, this year’s elections were influenced more by each candidate’s plans to pull state funds from one program and use them for another.

Perry, the Republican incumbent, defeated Democratic challenger Bill White to win a third four-year term as Texas governor.

Casey Ladner, a junior film-television-digital media major, said he voted for Perry, and that voting for the candidate that helped his family was the most beneficial to him as a student.

“To be honest, what’s good for [my parents] is good for my family, and I don’t see anything really wrong with that,” he said. “It feels good to make a difference or actually feel like you did something by going out and voting.”

Graduate communication student Shawn Redd said he voted for Perry because he was raised Republican.

“We needed Perry to win, we need as much Republican support in office as possible,” Redd said. “I agree with a lot of his policies, like with tax cuts, and the way he’s ran Texas through the economic recession. He’s kept us afloat and has really helped us.”

Political science professor Adam Schiffer said Perry took credit for Texas’ good economy, which helped him win. Schiffer said he didn’t think much would change in Perry’s third term.

Riddlesperger said Texas will have a difficult year in 2011 because of budget shortfalls, and that it didn’t matter which candidate won because in either case, the winner would face the shortfall.