Student Government candidates gathered in Talley Student Union on March 6 at 7:30 p.m. to witness the reveal of the results of the 2024 Student Government elections. Allison Markert, a third-year studying natural resources, and Isaac Carreno, a second-year studying social work, will be NC State’s next student body president and vice president.
Markert and Carreno won the election as the sole ticket on the ballot, earning 82.21% of the vote. Markert said she felt excited and empowered by the results and that she and Carreno would stay dedicated to improving campus, going into their positions.
“I think that this is a position that we see a lot of potential in,” Markert said. “And we’re looking forward to implementing a lot of new things on campus as well as just promoting more connectivity.”
Caroline Miranda, a second-year studying physics and current Student Senate president pro tempore, won the race for student senate president with 49.92% of the vote, compared to Justin Pittman’s 34.74%. Miranda said they felt they grew personally from the experience of the election and that they hope to continue working with Pittman.
“I learned a lot about reaching out to folks, and I’m also super proud of my opponent,” Miranda said. “I hope to still be able to continue to work with him in the future, and I’m just really excited because it’s like now I can work on what I want to see get done.”
Miranda said they credited their victory to their experience as Student Senate president pro tempore and willingness to work with others.
“I try to focus on being a leader … and working on relating to people,” Miranda said. “I think that my work previously stands as a testament to what I’ll be able to do going forward.”
Miranda said they have kept the campaign points of other candidates in mind and hope to collaborate when in session together.
“Just to say, as an informed voter myself, I’ve been keeping an eye on what everybody else was wanting to do as well and trying to see where everybody’s common grounds are, and we can build a plan of action going forward for the next session,” Miranda said.
Lanadia Adams, a third-year studying political science and criminology, won the uncontested race for treasurer with 80.2% of the vote. Adams said she hopes to put Student Government’s treasury branch into the spotlight and increase connectivity between the branch, students and student centers.
“My priorities are just to get the treasury branch more out there because we’re kind of in the background,” Adams said. “I want more students to be able to go through a simpler appropriations process. I want that to be smoother for them.”
The referendum on the Student Media Constitution was passed with 82.32% of non-abstained votes. The referendum will officially add Roundabout magazine as an organization, eliminate the three at-large student seats on the Student Media Board of Directors as elected positions, set a deadline for the student body president to appoint three at-large student members to the board and eliminate the requirement that amendments to the Student Media Constitution be approved via student body elections.
Markert said she and Carreno planned to immediately create applications for their executive cabinet the night of the reveal in preparation for the opening of the application on Monday.
Markert said director positions are available in every department, including the two new departments of campus services and academic affairs.
Carreno said he and Markert’s current positions will allow for a quick acclimation into the 104th session of Student Government.
“We’re going to jump and use our current roles and deputy chief of staff, student body vice president to make sure that our transition is seamless so that on the first day of 104 we hit the ground running and start working,” Carreno said.
Timothy Reid, a fourth-year studying business and current student body president, said the results of the elections left him optimistic about what the newly elected Student Government will achieve in the future.
“I think, just in terms of the quality of candidates that we’ve seen, I have full faith in all of the STOs and all of the senate candidates that they’re going to bring the advocacy and the energy that the student body needs — passionate advocacy,” Reid said. “We achieved a lot this session. I’m just excited to see where they pick up for 104.”
Reid said he has watched Markert grow in her role as student body vice president and is confident that these skills will translate into her role as president.
“She’s gonna kill it; she’s gonna be phenomenal,” Reid said. “She’s definitely proven herself over the course of the past year, and she’s done some pretty phenomenal work and has done a great job in empowering and supporting our cabinet, so I have no doubt that’s gonna translate to SBP.”
