Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

UH Student Government Association released the results of its spring elections for the 62nd administration, which named Tav Cockrell as president and Ian Kariuki as vice president/speaker of the senate. 

Students also elected senators representing colleges across the University, including the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Cullen College of Engineering, C.T. Bauer College of Business, College of Natural Science and Mathematics and the College of Education. Additionally, elected senators included representatives from UGRD Student Success, UH Law Center, Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership and Graduate College of Social Work. 

Candidates running for the senate seat representing the Hobby School of Public Affairs ended in a tie.

The new administration will attend a mandatory retreat for elected student leaders on March 28 before their term begins on April 1. 

Following the announcement of the results, former SGA presidential candidate Joshua Sambrano and his vice presidential candidate, Lundan Sherrod, filed a formal appeal challenging the release of unofficial election results for the 62nd SGA administration, alleging procedural violations and selective enforcement of election rules.

The appeal contends that unresolved violations, discrepancies among rulings and conflict with Election Commissioner Zainab Khimji compromised the transparency of the election process. The appeal document requested further investigation and review before the official election results are finalized.

Khimji confirmed to The Cougar that no recall election will be held.

Pending violations

The appeal argued that the unofficial SGA results were released prior to the resolution of allegations made against campaigns. The filing lists several allegations against Cockrell and Kariuki, including claims of active campaigning within 15 feet of residence halls, alleged endorsement from a non-UH student and the placement of campaign flyers on students’ cars. 

According to the appeal, these allegations seem to be in violation of the election code and the University of Houston policy. Sambrano stated in the document that releasing unofficial results before resolving the allegations risks putting forth unsubstantiated claims about the election.

According to the SGA website, Complaint #26-33 and Complaint #26-41 against Cockrell and Kariuki were found to have merit. The first complaint showed evidence of campaign staff engaging in direct, personal communication with students entering Cougar Village 1. The second complaint provided evidence of an endorsement of a non-UH student, former SGA senior justice Ansel Aimee Garcia.

Khimji stated that no sanction was implemented due to the submission time of the violations and the lack of time needed to effectively review. 

The same decision was applied to Complaint #26-34, which was against Sambrano and Lundan, who were found to be engaged in active campaigning within the restricted 15-foot zone of a University building entrance.  

Selective enforcement by the election commissioner

Sambrano continued his appeal with claims that Khimji did not uphold their duties and lacked objectivity in the allegations and election processes, which affected the Sambrano-Sherrod ticket’s ability to effectively campaign during the elections.

The appeal stated that Khimji failed on multiple accounts to provide reasonable time frames, consistent suspension rulings and proper communication with candidates regarding reported violations. 

Sambrano attributed a specific allegation where Cockrell and Kariuki received a Class C, 12-hour suspension — which was reversed after an appeal — for placing promotional materials on car windshields, while the Sambrano-Sherrod pair received a Class B, 24-hour suspension for authorizing a “door-to-door” solicitation within residence halls through Google Forms. 

The filing also claimed that several allegations against the Sambrano-Sherrod campaign, which were reportedly received 44 hours before the SGA debate, were not communicated to the pair until 30 minutes before the debate began on Feb 17. 

According to the appeal, the timing of these allegations allowed them to accumulate and was intended to “overwhelm candidates.”

Due process

Sambrano raises concerns about due process within the SGA election process. According to the appeal, candidates were notified of allegations simultaneously while sanctions were being imposed. Sambrano argued that this process limits candidates’ ability to respond to situations before suspensions take place. The document states that this particular practice subverts the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” and limits candidates’ campaigning ability.

The appeal further claimed that the SGA judiciary did not provide adequate reasoning or explanations for their rulings, which Sambrano argued prevents candidates from having an understanding of their violations and how to avoid them in the future.

The Cougar reached out to the election commissioner and is awaiting a response regarding the appeal. 

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