Student Union (SU) announced the results of its spring 2026 elections via Instagram on March 26, naming a new executive board and legislative body following a multi-day voting period that began Tuesday at 9 p.m. CST and concluded Thursday at 9 p.m. CST.

Voter turnout this election cycle was 17.4% of the student body, according to SU Election Commissioner Rachel Gwon. While turnout was higher than in the fall election cycle, Gwon noted that it remains below historical averages and below the level SU aims to get back to.

This election also saw Emergency Support Team (EST), a student-run organization that provides peer-led emergency support services, lose its block funding from SU with 66.06% (732 votes) in favor and 33.94% (376 votes) against — falling just seven votes short of the two-thirds majority (66.67%) required for approval.

Block funding is a funding model through which SU allocates a fixed budget to select groups, allowing them to operate continuously without submitting individual funding requests for each event. Uncle Joe’s and Campus Y both secured continued block funding with 81.34% (885 votes) and 84.19% (905 votes) in favor, respectively.

Junior Romen Der Manuelian was elected SU president, defeating fellow candidate junior Matthew Broome in the only contested executive race. Der Manuelian received 97.05% of the vote (527 votes), compared to Broome’s 2.95% (16 votes) after Broome was deducted 500 votes for violating the expenses and expenditure reporting rules and Campaign Rule 18. 

The remainder of the executive board ran unopposed. Sophomore Ella McCauley was elected executive vice president with 99.27% of the vote (957 votes), junior Emaan Sayied was elected vice president of engagement with 98.56% of the vote (892 votes), junior Cora Johnson was elected vice president of finance with 99.17% (956 votes), and junior Varun Vadhera was elected vice president of programming with 98.96% (947 votes). Each race also included a small number of write-in votes.

In addition to the executive board, 11 of the 12 original candidates will serve on SU Senate: Courtney Lucas (497 votes, 40.05%), Hanna Solovy (495 votes, 39.89%), Mia Fox (457 votes, 36.83%), Isaac Payne (457 votes, 36.83%), Bethany Anderson (455 votes, 36.66%), Casey Preis (438 votes, 35.29%), Flinn Opel (407 votes, 32.80%), Alandee Patil (397 votes, 31.99%), Ben Schwed (375 votes, 30.22%), John Jannotta (256 votes, 20.63%), and Jason Tang (205 votes, 16.52%). Broome, who also ran for Senate, did not secure a seat following the same 500-vote deduction. 

Ten students were also elected to Treasury positions: Micah Kopelman (502 votes, 40.45%), Palladium Liang (491 votes, 39.56%), Aram Ashrafzadeh (458 votes, 36.91%), Selina Son (452 votes, 36.42%), Rory O’Shea (432 votes, 34.81%), Syncere Sanchez (430 votes, 34.65%), Ethan Wong (422 votes, 34.00%), Dania Backal (392 votes, 31.59%), Manzoor Mohis (340 votes, 27.40%), and Seth Skiles (310 votes, 24.98%). 

In a statement to Student Life, Gwon said that rulings on campaign violations contributed to several uncontested races, which she noted can affect voter engagement.

“While [our decisions] did result in a number of uncontested races, our focus remains on ensuring that the election process is conducted fairly and in accordance with established policies,” she wrote. “Historically, turnout and engagement are stronger in more competitive races, so we are actively working to increase the number of candidates running for future years.”

The newly elected executive board will assume office in fall 2026, setting the agenda for SU initiatives, funding priorities, and student advocacy efforts heading into the 2026–27 academic year.