The Student Government Association (SGA) presidential and vice presidential races advanced to a runoff after no candidate garnered over 50% of the vote in either race, according to election results released by the Elections Board on Feb. 27. Polls opened at noon on Feb. 24 and closed at noon on Feb. 27. The runoffs will occur on March 2 and 3, according to SGA Vice Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang (23Ox).
Courtesy of Khegan Meyers and Andrew Yang.
Khegan Meyers (24B) received 603 votes (46.63%) while MaKenzie Jones (22Ox, 24C) garnered 389 votes (30.78%). Rizky Lubis (24C), who was disqualified from the presidential election on Feb. 24 after failing to submit campaign expenditure receipts, received 122 votes (9.43%). Lubis was not able to be removed from the ballot because the voting period opened before he was disqualified. Additionally, 170 (13.4%) votes of no confidence were cast. A total of 1,293 votes were cast in the SGA presidential election.
Yang, Meyers’ running mate, received 603 votes (46.63%) and Abigail Dubinski (25B), who ran alongside Jones, received 461 votes (35.65%). Jayden Davis (25B) received 70 votes (5.41%). 159 votes (12.29%) of no confidence were cast.
Meyers campaigned with a 44-page platform that outlines various proposals for the 2023-24 academic year, including increasing free contraception on campus. This year, Meyers served as an SGA Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Council representative and SGA ranking member. His previous positions include serving as a legislator in College Council and the chair of College Council student life and traditions committee.
Courtesy of MaKenzie Jones and Abigail Dubinski
Jones has served in SGA since their freshman year — first at Oxford as a senator and this year as an SGA and College Council Legislator. They ran alongside Abigail Dubinski (25B) on the platform of Response, Inclusivity, Spirit, and Excellence, forming the acronym “RISE.” Their campaign focused on concerns around sexual assault, DEI and access to wellness resources.
Meyers and Jones did not respond to request for comment by press time.
Yang wrote in an email to the Wheel that he is “grateful to advance to the Runoff Election.”
“It is a humbling experience to have the support of so many students who have placed their trust in us,” Yang wrote. “This would not have been possible without the many students who have voiced their support for us and the hard work and dedication of our team.”
Dubinski did not respond to request for comment by press time.
Distinct from the previous election cycle, both full and part-time students could run for the SGA presidency this year. This rule was changed after Elisabet Ortiz (26C) was disqualified from last year’s race due to her status as a gap year student. Additionally, presidential candidates facing financial difficulties can now petition for SGA to cover all of their campaigning financial needs.
Neha Murthy (24C) won the College Council (CC) presidential election with 551 votes (63.77%) of the 864 votes cast, overcoming Daniel Nadel (25C), who secured 156 (18.05%) votes. 157 people (18.17%) voted no confidence.
Murthy named her platform “Neha CARES,” which stands for community, accessibility, responsibility, education and sustainability. On her website, Murthy said that she is committed to ensuring that every student feels heard and included, and that resources and opportunities are accessible to all.
“I’m just really thrilled,” Murthy said. “It’s been a really emotional journey for me through college council over the past four years. I’m not sure how many people know but when I was a freshman, my whole first year was completely online and I wanted to get involved on campus but I didn’t know how and one of the first ways I looked into getting involved was through College Council.”
Nadel did not respond to request for comment by press time.Muhummad Sami (25C), who was the only CC vice presidential candidate, was also disqualified for not submitting expenditure receipts. The CC vice presidential race was left vacant as a result, and no winner was elected.
Murthy said that she already has a plan to pick her new vice president in the upcoming week.
“Applications are open and they’ll be open till Thursday night at midnight and this Friday,” Murthy said. “I’ll be conducting interviews all day with my advisor because at the end of the day, I have the decision-making power but I don’t want to be biased and club inclusivity is a big part of my belief system.”
The BBA Council presidential election will also advance to a runoff. Natalia Szalay (24B) garnered 160 votes (46.51%), while Michael Chan (22Ox, 24B) received 146 votes (42.44%). In total 344 votes were cast in the BBA presidential race.
Szalay wrote in an email to the Wheel that she was glad to see high turnout for the SGA elections.
“It is great to see that BBA students resonate with my platform,” she wrote.
Previously, Szalay served as Treasurer and Special Activities Chair on the Student Programming Council. Her platform centers on establishing channels for student feedback in executive decision making and promoting philanthropy within KEGS.
Chan campaigned on a three part platform: foster connection, cultivate communication and build belonging. He serves as a Junior Representative on BBA Council, President of Goizueta Pride, and BBA Career Coach at the Career Management Center.
Additionally, Liam O’Sullivan (24B) earned the BBA vice presidential seat with 179 votes (52.03%), beating Lily Short (24B), who earned 106 (30.81%) votes. In total, 344 votes were cast in the BBA vice presidential race.
O’Sullivan plans to lead with a focus on transparency, inclusivity and community. To address each focus, he plans on hosting coffee chats and town halls as he believes that leaders should spend less time talking and more time listening. O’Sullivan will also seek to create a new position titled “Onboarding Representative” to help matriculated sophomores and BBA minors feel welcome and prepared for Goizueta Business School.
Spencer Friedland (26C) is from Long Island, New York and is the Emory Wheel's Managing News Editor. He is a Philosophy, Politics and Law major and has a secondary major in Film. Spencer is also a part of the Franklin Fellows program at Emory.
News Editor | Eva Roytburg (she/her, 23Ox) is from Glencoe, Illinois, majoring in philosophy, politics and law. Outside of the Wheel, Roytburg is an avid writer of short fiction stories. In her free time, you can find her way too deep in a niche section of Wikipedia.
