This post was written by Alli Hoff, a Hatchet staff writer.
Updated 10:35 a.m.
Kyle Boyer missed clinching the Student Association presidency by two votes Thursday night, according to uncertified results released by the Joint Elections Committee early Friday.
Boyer, who garnered 39.97 percent of the vote, missed the 40 percent plurality mark necessary to win the race by two votes, forcing a runoff election with the runner-up in the presidential race, sophomore Julie Bindelglass. Jason Lifton, a sophomore, won the executive vice president spot with 58 percent of the vote.
Bindelglass garnered 23.1 percent of the vote.
“This is a big statement in a seven-person race,” said Boyer, a junior. “I think it’s a very clear statement about what our students want this year.”
Bindelglass, a sophomore, said she is excited to move on to the runoff election.
“I’m so excited about how the students have spoken,” she said. “We are now one step closer to taking our SA back.”
Bindelglass’s team of supporters—sporting kelly green T-shirts with the campaign’s motto “Take Back the SA”—surrounded Bindelglass when the results were announced. Boyer’s team of supporters, consisting primarily of fellow members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, sang songs and cheered after the results were announced.
More than 100 students arrived in Columbian Square at 9 p.m. and many waited more than three hours for the results from the Joint Election Committee, which oversees the elections.
Crowds grew larger and anticipation ran high as members of the JEC released names of the victors in the SA Senate and Program Board contests, slowly moving closer to the biggest announcements of the evening—the winners of the presidential and vice-presidential races.
Lifton said he surprised by his win against junior Louis Laverone.
“I’m shaking right now,” he said in the minutes after the results were announced. “I really don’t know what to say.”
Lifton said he attributes his success to endorsements from the graduate school and the support of the Greek-letter community. He met with members of sororities and fraternities throughout the campaign, visiting their chapter meetings and discussing his ideas.
“It was really word of mouth, getting out there and talking to people,” Lifton said. “You can read your platform, but you’ve got to get your foot in the door with the students.”
All three winning candidates are members of Greek-letter organizations. Many of their fellow Greek-letter organization members, wearing the letters of their fraternities and sororities, turned out.
Bindelglass said she plans to further expand her support team in the weeks leading up to the run-off election.
“I’m really looking forward to going out and meeting everyone over the next two weeks,” she said. “I’m going to keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing, telling people about my ideas and fighting for our SA.”
Heading into the two weeks before the next contest, Boyer said he also plans to continue with the same campaign he brought to the Feb. 25 and Feb. 26 contest.
“I’m going to go right back out there now and campaign hard,” Boyer said. “It’s the same game plan.”
Exiting the Marvin Center with the rest of the crowd a few minutes after midnight, Lifton was caught up in the excitement and celebration of his evening—which, unlike those of Boyer and Bindelglass—meant the end of a long campaign.
“I’m so excited right now,” he said, laughing. “I have a midterm tomorrow, so we’ll have to see how that goes after this.”
The run-off election will take place March 11 and 12.
