After Drawn-Out Controversy, Student Body President Elected

By Jordan Schraeder in 40 Acres on March 30, 2012 at 3:36 pm | No Comments

Well, it’s been a bumpy road, but the results are in: the new Student Government president is Thor Lund, a senior mechanical engineering major who is that rare outsider to SG.

This year’s elections were far from usual: two presidential candidates were disqualified, and the campaign time frame was extended to six weeks instead of two because of a pending judicial review by a Travis County judge.

The review, which was the result of a lawsuit brought against the University, put formerly disqualified pair Madison Gardner and Antonio Guevara back on the ballot—but they were quickly disqualified again. Another former candidate was kicked to the curb in February for committing fraud.

All of this controversy may have caused student disillusionment, according to the number of tallied votes: Lund and his running mate, Wills Brown, won the election with 2,571 votes over John Lawler’s 2,112, for a total of 4,683 ballots cast.

That’s a 41-percent drop from last year’s SG presidential election, which garnered 7,883 votes. In 2010, that number was even higher at 8,654.

Lund ran on a platform that advocated 24-hour access to the PCL, renovating Anna Hiss Gym, and providing healthier late-night food options.

“A lot of people were wondering if we were ever going to have this day,” Lund said in the Daily Texan. “With each challenge we grow stronger. We’ve come out so much stronger and better after this. It has been a blessing in disguise.”

Thor Lund. Photo by Zen Ren. Courtesy the Daily Texan.

Tags: Antonio Guevara, Madison Garder, student government, Thor Lund, Wills Brown