This fall’s undergraduate Student Association 2026-27 elections will see 13 candidates on the ballot for the Senate and five for president. Twelve seats are open on the Senate.
Names were finalized four days prior to Monday, Sept. 14, the start of the voting period for both elections. The two will run until Friday, Sept. 18. The referendum on SA’s $109 mandatory student activity fee — offering the choices on whether to keep, raise or end it — will run concurrently.
SA did not disclose the names of the parties — which some candidates may choose to run under — to The Spectrum by time of publication.
To qualify, presidential candidates had to obtain 100 signatures from current undergraduate students, and Senate candidates had to obtain 50. Signatures for candidates running for both positions are allowed to overlap.
Na’Dia Carter — SA’s acting 2026-27 president after Jack Koscinski resigned the role in July — will not be on the ticket as she will graduate this semester. Pranavan Balachandran, the vice president for clubs, is the only 2026-27 SA e-board member on the ballot for president.
The four other presidential candidates have two familiar faces and two newcomers.
In last spring’s elections, Charlene Okine was runner-up to Koscinski with 915 votes under the “UBTheVoice” ticket, while Senate Chairperson Aidan Thomas, under the “Unity4UB” party, trailed only 237 votes behind Balachandran for vice president for clubs. .
Thomas is also in the run for Senate, making him the only candidate to vie for both positions.
Newcomers Donald Wright and Qawiyah Owadunni are vying for the presidential seat.
Only one current Senator — Aeaad Alawaad — will be rerunning for a seat. Among the remaining candidates are newcomers Fei Ji, Malloree Marshall, Bruce Revels, Dalu Obi, Kevin Battles, John Florentino, Evan Schirrmacher and Mei Lien Szumigala.
Thomas, Vivianna Ricci, Phillip Ouma and Adam Brennan are running under the “Unity4UB” party for the Senate per their Instagram.
SA, the undergraduate student government, operates with a $4.5 million budget, funded by the $109 mandatory student activity fee. It is a major source of funding for undergraduate events and clubs, and its e-board and Senate members advocate on behalf of the undergraduate student body.
SA’s e-board members receive a $19,500 annual stipend.
Dorothy Similien is the assistant news editor and can be reached at dorothy.similien@ubspectrum.com.
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Photo: Courtesy of Aaron Bartley, owner of Fitz Books & Waffles
