Roger Kapoor won the race for Student Association president with a commanding 56.5 percent of the vote, defeating Bob Simon and Daniel Loren, the Joint Elections Comittee announced to a calm crowd in the Hippodrome Wednesday afternoon. The victory hinges on the outcome of two JEC hearings on Kapoor’s campaign spending Wednesday night.
Josh Singer squeaked by executive vice presidential candidate Mike Pellegrino with just enough votes to win the seat without a run-off election.
Students will pay $1 a credit hour directly to the SA after a referendum passed by a wide margin – 1,303 to 651 – to take SA funding away from University discretion. The other referendum on the ballot, one for a new SA constitution, failed by fewer than 50 votes – 927 to 976. The Change for Students constitution would have split the SA Senate into graduate and undergraduate houses among other provisions.
Kapoor won the position after a week-long battle with the JEC and SA Student Court to remain on the ballot. But he awaits two more JEC hearings tonight on complaints that he spent more than the $1,000 spending limit for presidential candidates and turned financial forms into the JEC fifteen minutes late.
The JEC will meet at 8 p.m. to decide whether to charge Kapoor for turning his form in late Friday. The committee will re-convene at 8:30 p.m. to review his spending report, including complaints that prices for pizza are listed too low, JEC General Counsel Alycia Piontkowski said.
If the JEC finds that Kapoor went over the spending limit, he could be stripped of his victory, giving second-place finisher Bob Simon the position. Simon received 29.5 percent of the vote, while Loren won 13.9 percent.
Supporters surrounded Kapoor to congratulate him after the announcement.
He immediately called his mother and said, “Hey, I won! I guess you’re the `first mom’ now.”
Kapoor said he is not deterred by the pending hearing Wednesday at 8 p.m. the JEC’s Marvin Center office.
“The JEC does its job,” Kapoor said. “I’ll tell them what’s happening . you know, the usual.”
Kapoor said is excited to take on the new position.
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride. But I’m ready to get to work and have some fun . big time.”
Josh Singer won the executive vice presidential race with 41.5 percent of the vote, ahead of Mike Pellegrino, who received 38.7 percent, and J.P. Blackford, who received 19.8 percent. Candidates must win 40 percent of the vote to prevent a run-off election.
Singer said he is excited to take on his new role as head of the SA Senate. Singer said he thought the election would go to a run off.
“I’ve been studying for midterms,” Singer said. “These past two days have been pretty nervous.”
Singer, a current SA member, said he has already discussed plans for transition with EVP Cathy Resler.
But for now, Singer said he wanted to finish up his school day and take a geology exam.
“I’m going to party,” Singer said. “But not too hard . I want to remember today.”
Singer said he is confident he will work well with Kapoor.
“We’re both really about advocacy as well as increasing money for student programs,” Singer said.
GWUnited came away with five Senate seats, while the Change for Students slate took four.
Capturing both undergraduate-at-large Senate seats, GWUnited candidates Raj Parekh and Matt Hartgarten said they will stick to the platform they won with and redefine the role undergraduate at large senators play.
“We will be held accountable to our GWUnited platform and plan on visiting student groups to hear their concerns so we can focus on them next fall,” Parekh said.
Serving as outgoing President David Burt’s chief of staff, Parekh said that he saw too much animosity between Burt and the Senate, and hopes that the Kapoor’s relationship with senators will lead to a more productive Senate.
Mimi Bienia and Mark Nerney captured the Elliott School of International Affairs undergraduate seats while Dan Moss and Phillip Robinson won the School Business and Public Management undergraduate seats.
“I am relieved that this election is over and am hoping that with all of the GWUnited senators, we will finally start to have a Student Association that represents the student body,” Robinson said.
Fiona Conroy, Eric Daleo, Mira Brown, Bridget O’Brien and Jennifer Beppu won Columbian School of Arts and Sciences seats.
One of the only returning senators from this years senate, Conroy said she hopes on taking advantage of her leadership role next year with what she hopes will be a more effective Senate.
“There are a lot of things that need to get done and my first initiative will be to continue to work on current legislation,” Conroy said.
Zack Ibrahim and Brian Cohen took the two graduate at-large seats.
Tayseer Aldaghlas and Josh Nathan were elected from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, while J. Reed Beebe, Cynthia Sanchez and Anne Ruppel were elected to the SBPM seats.
Johann Aakre and Rudy Alvarez tied for the School Engineering and Applied Sciences undergraduate seat. The SA Senate will break the tie.
J.P. Blackford and Christian Salmon took the graduate seats for SEAS.
While Blackford lost his bid for EVP, he received one write-in vote allowing him to serve his eighth term in the Senate.
Ofer Wellisch captured the School of Public Health and Human Services graduate seat while Stephanie Whitam took the undergraduate position.
Derk Lion took the ESIA graduate seat, and Maureen Benitz was elected as a CSAS graduate senator.
Crystal Ogene and Tom Meier won the two Law School positions.
