The study body’s presidential and vice presidential candidates participated in an on-campus debate on Tuesday in Hart Auditorium. Elections opened at noon, immediately following the debate, and will remain open through Friday at 3 p.m.

Josh Hamm is running unopposed for student body president, while Luke Talley and Jewel Cobb are both running for vice president. Throughout the debate, candidates returned to similar themes, student voice, accessibility and campus connection, while offering different approaches to leadership and how the Student Government Association should operate.

The discussion also focused on how SGA is perceived on campus, the role of legislation within the Senate and how leaders can better represent the student body.

Josh Hamm
Josh Hamm, junior biomedical major from Double Oak, expanded on the three pillars of his campaign, voice, stewardship and vision, emphasizing leadership as a service position.

Hamm said one of his main priorities is improving SGA’s accessibility, including implementing a student idea portal where students can submit feedback and suggestions directly.

“For student government to impact the student body in the most applicable way, we need to know what they want,” Hamm said. “We need to give everyone on campus a voice.”

He said he hopes to shift students’ perception of SGA, encouraging students to see it as a resource rather than something distant from everyday campus life.

Hamm also emphasized the importance of communication and humility in leadership, especially when it comes to SGA’s partnership with administration.

He closed by encouraging students to engage with SGA regardless of the election outcome.

“SGA is here to serve y’all,” Hamm said. “Use it as a resource.”

Luke Talley
Luke Talley, sophomore government major from Salida, Colorado, focused on leadership development and the importance of relationships, drawing from personal experiences that shaped his approach to leading others.

Talley described leadership as something built through growth, including learning from failure, and said his goal is to foster a stronger sense of community within SGA.

“I don’t want to be a solo leader,” Talley said. “I want to be part of a team.”

He emphasized creating a “family” environment within the executive team and Senate, where collaboration and support allow leaders to better serve students.

During the debate, Talley highlighted what he sees as a key challenge within the Senate: ensuring that legislation is meaningful without creating unnecessary work.

“Sometimes we see a problem, and sometimes while trying to fix it, we end up adding more work instead of asking if it actually helps,” Talley said.

He said his approach would focus on evaluating whether proposed changes genuinely benefit students, and strengthening connections among senators, the executive team and the broader student body.

Talley also emphasized the importance of healthy disagreement within leadership, saying productive debate can strengthen relationships rather than divide them.

Jewel Cobb
Jewel Cobb, junior management major from Tomball, emphasized advocacy and engagement. She said she wants to make sure students feel heard and connected to SGA.

Cobb said her campaign, “Our Campus, Our Community, Our Voice,” centers on creating more opportunities for students to share ideas and interact with student leaders.

“There are so many students who have such incredible ideas that I’ve never heard before,” Cobb said. “If we utilize those ideas, we can make our campus better.”

She emphasized the importance of meaningful legislation and defined it as an action that positively impacts students across campus. Cobb also noted that many students are unaware of the changes SGA has already made.

“There are things we’ve done that impact students, but they don’t even know about them,” Cobb said.

Cobb also pushed for more involvement within the Senate itself, arguing that stronger relationships among senators would lead to a stronger representation of students.

“If we build better relationships within Senate, we can better serve students,” Cobb said.

Cobb also highlighted specific areas of focus, including improving campus dining and creating more opportunities for students to participate in the legislative process.

Looking ahead
While candidates shared similar goals of improving campus and representing student voices, the debate revealed differences in how they would approach leadership, collaboration and decision-making within SGA.

Both vice presidential candidates acknowledged those differences while expressing confidence in the future of student government regardless of the outcome.

As voting remains open through Friday afternoon, students can select the leaders who will represent them in the coming year. Candidates encouraged students not only to vote but to stay involved, and emphasized that SGA’s effectiveness depends on continued student participation and engagement.