Incumbent Missouri Students Association Senate Speaker Jake Sloan was re-elected Wednesday night, defeating Student Affairs committee chairman Tyler Ricketts.
Sloan won the election by a landslide with 37 votes, 24 more than Ricketts, who received 13 votes.
“This past year has been probably the most rewarding and best experience I’ve had at the University of Missouri,” Sloan said during his speech to senators.
During his address, Sloan spoke about the improvements he has made to MSA Senate during his first term as speaker, including making the organization more respected on campus.
“We have people lined up to try to get into Senate,” he said.
He said open seats have been filled quickly. Some students are still waiting for an open seat in order to join Senate, which Sloan said is a contrast to past years when open seats went unoccupied.
Sloan also said he did not want to take credit for all of the improvements made in MSA during the past year.
“This is not my senate,” Sloan said. “This is not your senate. It’s the University of Missouri students’ senate.”
Both Sloan and Ricketts have served on MSA Senate since the fall of 2009, their freshman year. During his address to senators, Ricketts shared that he, Sloan and MSA President Xavier Billingsley were all elected to senate on the same night.
“I’m running for this position not to run against Jake,” Ricketts said. “I’m running for this position because I think that as senators you deserve an alternative perspective.”
Following the MSA bylaws, both candidates were also allowed to have two people speak on their behalf.
Both of Sloan’s speakers spoke about the improvements he has made to Senate.
“This is a professional organization, one that is respected on campus,” Budget chairman Clark Maynard said. “I think, personally, that comes directly from (Sloan’s) leadership.”
Maynard also said the Senate’s business-casual dress code, which Sloan installed when he became speaker, adds to the legitimacy of the organization.
Senator Chris Chandler also spoke on Sloan’s behalf, and said he takes suggestions very seriously.
“One thing I can say he has done, is he’s taken whatever consideration you’ve had, and he’s achieved them,” Chandler said.
Kathy Rudd, Residence Halls Association Speaker of Congress and former MSA senator, spoke for Ricketts, and said he also cared about MU students.
“The biggest thing that I can say to Tyler is his passion for students,” she said. “He cares about getting to know people on an individual level.”
Because the incumbent speaker was running for re-election, Sloan could not officiate the election.
“It’s a unique year,” MSA adviser Farouk Aregbe said. “We have an incumbent speaker and we have a committee chair running for re-election.”
The election was officiated by Student Court Chief Justice Brynne Krause.
This was Sloan’s third time running for MSA Senate Speaker. In 2010, Sloan lost by four votes to Evan Wood. In 2011, Sloan was elected after a run-off vote broke an initial tie between him and then-Academic Affairs committee chairman Everett Bruer.