{"id":279760,"date":"2026-04-22T05:11:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/279760\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T05:11:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:11:07","slug":"meet-your-2026-asi-presidential-candidates-the-state-hornet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/279760\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet your 2026 ASI presidential candidates \u2013 The State Hornet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Voting season has arrived and it\u2019s time for Sacramento State students to vote for their next Associated Students, Inc. president and executive vice president.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s ballot has two presidential tickets, with a president and vice president running together for voters to decide between. The ASI president represents Sac State\u2019s student body and acts as their voice to the university and in the community. The executive vice president takes on more of an internal role, acting as the representative of the student senate, oversees internal committees and communicates with university administration and departments amongst other responsibilities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Students can cast their vote online<\/a> or in person beginning Wednesday, April 22 at 8 a.m. and voting closes Thursday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. Ballots can be cast in person at the University Union and the next ASI president and executive vice president will be announced at the ASI Election Results Party <\/a>on Thursday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the second floor of Terrace Suite in The WELL. Students must be enrolled at Sac State in a matriculated program in order to vote.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Sac State administration allegedly coerced ASI to change election code, lawsuit says<\/p>\n

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Sergio Antonio Maciel Montoya and Jenn Galinato:
\n\u201cPush the Boundaries\u201d<\/p>\n

Sergio Antonio Maciel Montoya, a senior management information systems major, and Jennifer Galinato, a senior political science major, international relations and journalism major say their main goals, if elected, focus on prioritizing students\u2019 needs and providing equitable resources for Sac State\u2019s diverse student body. They plan to do so through better communication with students and listening to their needs and concerns.<\/p>\n

Both candidates have had previous leadership experience as vice president of finance and vice president of academic affairs respectively on the last ASI board. Montoya previously served as event coordinator for ASI student engagement outreach for and Galinato is also currently the chair of the student academic senate. They identify as low-income and first-generation students who understand the many daily challenges facing Sac State\u2019s diverse student-body.<\/p>\n

The pair\u2019s campaign statement<\/a> opens with a greeting in both Spanish and Tagalog, representing their native languages. The statement highlights their priorities such as safeguarding against changes affecting groups who\u2019ve felt historically left behind and pushing for more investment in higher education, making university life better affordable for students and more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Galinato, who is running for the position of executive vice president alongside Montoya, said this statement goes deeper than simply stating their execution plans for if they win on April 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you read our campaign statement, the way we wrote our campaign statement was, it was meant to be a love letter to every single student at Sac State,\u201d Galinato said.<\/p>\n

Galinato explained that this campaign was made with every single student in mind and was inspired by the currently lived times. She referred to California\u2019s budget deficit<\/a>, saying that the budget issues faced at the state and federal level <\/a>represent an administration that doesn\u2019t want to see students like herself<\/a> succeed.<\/p>\n

The pair aim to be a voice for those who are often underrepresented. Montoya\u2019s experience working with College Corps<\/a>, a community service program that guides and assists college students and the community, inspired and compelled him to get into student government.<\/p>\n

Galinato\u2019s battles with the higher education system began as a transfer student, she explained her struggles with California\u2019s residency system. She said the experience taught her to advocate for herself as she was questioned on her existence in the system.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned from that, like wow, higher ed is a pretty crazy beast. So I realized it can\u2019t just be me, and that\u2019s what kind of pushed me to run for two years ago,\u201d Galinato said.<\/p>\n

In his first semester as ASI president, Montoya said his top priority would be fast networking. Montoya said inclusive communication is where it all starts, and big projects start by listening first. In order to receive feedback and truly listen, he said there needs to be infrastructure built to ensure strong bonds between the administration and the students.<\/p>\n

As the current chair of the Student Academic Senate, Galinato said her top priority as executive vice president would be ensuring transparency. She emphasized the importance of working with executives in their respective areas to spread information, since she acknowledges students don\u2019t always have the time to attend hours-long board meetings.<\/p>\n

Overall, Montoya and Galinato both emphasized the importance that they place on having transparency, accountability, amplifying student voices and reminding voters that their campaign was born out of care and love.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going into this hoping that we are earning the votes of students,\u201d Galinato said. \u201cWe are also asking for their trust in us to ensure that this organization pushes its boundaries and puts them first at anything, and that we want it to be a beautiful working relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zeeshan Ali and Joshua Jara:
\n\u201cMake the Hive Thrive\u201d<\/p>\n

Zeeshan Ali, a junior public health major, and Joshua Jara, a junior public health major with a concentration in community health education, say their main goals focus on putting students\u2019 needs first and improving their overall university experience, with an emphasis on food insecurity and affordability. They plan to bridge the gap between students and decision makers as well as ensuring students feel represented and their voices are heard.<\/p>\n

Both candidates are transfer students that understand the challenges of many other students. They say Sac State students that they talked to balance school with other responsibilities and setbacks that can make university life more stressful. They focus on balancing work and keeping up with finances as tuition and parking permit price increases.<\/p>\n

Many of Ali\u2019s family members and friends attended Sac State, and he has heard many of the same concerns, one being food insecurity.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the few things that really shifted my perspective were the EBT accessibility on our campus,\u201d Ali said. \u201cA lot of my friends are food insecure, or people that I know. So not having access to food on campus or being able to use regular ways to eat, that kind of struck me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali also voiced concerns over campus safety, as he recalled one of his friends asking him to walk her to her car because she didn\u2019t feel safe. He also expressed a desire to increase accessibility for mental health resources after an experience scheduling a counseling appointment where it took weeks for the Student Health, Counseling and Wellness center to provide service.<\/p>\n

Jara, who is running for executive vice president alongside Ali, said that as a public health major he\u2019s interested in overall community wellness and improving upon things at a structural policy level.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it\u2019d be a super-duper cool opportunity to gain experience on, sort of navigating being a leader, finding different ways to apply projects and policy and just sort of improve upon the student experience on a structural level,\u201d Jara said.<\/p>\n

Jara said a benefit of attending Sac State is its diverse student population. As someone who grew up in a predominantly white community, he said he understands the feeling of being underrepresented. He hopes to work on improving, representing and empowering cultural diversity on campus.<\/p>\n

Ali said his top priority if elected as president would be advocating for EBT accessibility across campus. He said students shouldn\u2019t have to be walking off campus to use EBT cards, or be going to bed with an empty stomach. He said the campus should provide all the resources students need for success.<\/p>\n

Implementation of more vending machines across campus is also a plan by Ali as a part of this effort. He also hopes to work on a parking forgiveness program for tickets, push for policies that would lower parking costs and fix the class enrollment system amongst other priorities he said he planned to address.<\/p>\n

As the leader of the student senate, Jara said he plans to ensure accountability and transparency through communication understood across the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to make sure all of the concerns that any student voices to each of the other vice presidents or directors, I want to make sure those concerns are addressed, recognized, acknowledged and there are steps taken to resolve them,\u201d Jara said.<\/p>\n

Ali said both Jara and himself want to make campus more affordable, advocate for students and raise their concerns to the university. By being the ones to attend tough meetings, they hope to bring home positive results and action for students.<\/p>\n

\u201dIt\u2019s not like I\u2019m talking from a political standpoint. I\u2019m a student too, these things affect me,\u201d Ali said. \u201cIf we can bring these changes, these are also going to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n