The Student Senate voted Thursday for Unite Party Sen. Logan Harrison to take over as Senate president.
Unite Party Sen. Cory Yeffet was elected into Harrison’s previous position, Senate president pro tempore.
Earlier this week, Harrison called an emergency Senate meeting after the resignation of former president Aundre Price.
On Thursday, candidates were allowed to speak to the Senate for five minutes and answer five minutes of questions. In accordance with Senate procedures, there was no debate.
Harrison ran against Students Party Sen. Carly Wilson. He won 41 to 12.
Harrison said he ran for president to carry out the duties associated with being the Senate president pro tempore. Whenever the Senate president cannot fulfill his or her duties, the pro tempore must step up.
“This to me is a fulfillment of those duties,” Harrison said.
After the meeting, Harrison said he hadn’t decided if he would keep Price’s temporary committees on anti-hate and sustainability. Temporary committees normally dissolve when the Senate president’s term is up.
Harrison said he is excited for the new term.
“I think it will be an easier transition,” he said.
The Senate also elected Yeffet to take over Harrison’s position as the Senate president pro tempore. Yeffet beat Students Party Sen. Morgan Vollrath 40 to 11. The newly elected Harrison abstained from voting.
While presenting to the Senate, Vollrath said voting a minority senator to the second-highest position in the Senate would demonstrate the body’s bipartisanship.
However, senators raised questions about Vollrath’s inexperience within the Senate. He was voted in during the spring elections and is a member of the Rules and Ethics Committee.
Yeffet spoke about his time on the Replacement and Agenda Committee. He said he was the second-longest-standing member on the committee. Harrison was the other.
Yeffet’s new position means he will lead that committee. He is allowed to keep his spot on the Judiciary Committee, but he’s not sure if he will.
“I feel great,” Yeffet said after the meeting. “I’m looking forward to the next six weeks.”
Harrison and Yeffet will serve in their new positions for six weeks until Student Government elections on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3.
After the meeting, Wilson said she fears the rest of the term will be a “lame duck” period in which nothing gets accomplished.
“I don’t think it’s the best for the students,” she said.
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
Newly elected Student Senate President Logan Harrison waits for the final tally for his previous position, Senate president pro tempore.
