Vision Party swept the UF Spring 2026 Student Government elections in an entirely uncontested race, in which no one ran for other parties or as independent candidates.
About 7,200 students cast ballots across Tuesday and Wednesday, a decrease in voter turnout by about 33% compared to Spring 2025.
In the Spring, students cast ballots for the student body president, vice president and treasurer, as well as senators representing 17 of the university’s colleges and schools. Freshman, sophomore and graduate senators were also elected.
Ever since Change Party opted not to run candidates in the Fall 2025 elections, Vision Party has been the only major contender in SG elections. It swept all 49 senate seats in the Fall, beating out three independent candidates.
This Spring, Matthew Bravo, a 21-year-old UF history and political science junior, won the student body presidency alongside Donovan Francois as vice president. Together, the two won a total of nearly 6,800 votes, about 95.85% of student ballots. Write-in candidates picked up 294 votes total.
Bravo previously served as the senate president pro tempore under the outgoing senate president, Maya Idiculla.
“Any legislative experience, I think, is a very good starter for anyone wanting to be in a position on the executive team,” Bravo said.
Scenes from the results
Half an hour before results were announced, Vision strolled from Turlington Plaza to the Reitz Union. Supporters and candidates donned navy and black shirts, some with the slogan “Bet on Bravo” written on the back, supporting the sole presidential candidate.
Some people wore shirts with “I heart MMB,” “I heart Donovan” and “I heart Marco” on them in support of the candidates running for president, vice president and treasurer.
In a break from tradition, the marchers didn’t chant or cheer as they walked. Instead, they opted to carry mild conversations. Three people also marched with large signs of the candidates’ faces.
People poured into the ground floor of the Reitz Union, grouping together, taking pictures and chattering while awaiting the results.
Around 10 minutes to 10 p.m., the reading of election results began. Vision Party members stood on top of chairs pushed into a circle as Supervisor of Elections Lexi Sederopoulos announced the results. They stood closely together, wrapping their arms around each others’ shoulders and swaying back and forth.
Bravo’s win was met with cheers, screams of joy and even a few tears from his loyal supporters. After winning, Bravo immediately stepped down from his chair, hugging those around him as the final results were announced.
Bravo, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma last year, said his first priority as president is to create an SG-sponsored stem cell and bone marrow drive. After the success of the “Swab for Bravo” drive in November 2025, he believes continuing the drive for others is the right thing to do.
"It'll be nice to start up a program that can actually help a lot of people, not even just outside of UF, but also a lot of students here fighting,” he said. “It’s a project close to my heart.”
Francois, who won vice president, declined to comment following the results.
Marco Salvador, a 20-year-old UF political science junior, won the uncontested election for treasurer. After hearing the results, he said he felt “fantastic.” Winning the election is the easy part, he said, but getting out there is where the work comes in. He said he grounded his campaign on the needs of student organizations.
Although Vision was the only party running, Salvador said he hopes to see more perspectives in the future.
“We understand that we’re not perfect,” Salvador said. “I think an opportunity to potentially talk to people that disagree with us, I think, is only going to make us stronger.”
Cole Bennett, a 21-year-old UF political science junior, is a campaign manager for Vision Party. He said it’s great to see that the student body wants Vision Party to continue in office. He also said he’s looking forward to seeing what the 50 senators will implement.
“I don't pay attention to what the other parties or what other people are doing,” Bennett said. “I only pay attention to what we're able to do. I know all the amazing things that we're going to be able to do with our senators that just got elected, as well as our executive ticket.”
Some Vision Party members supported Bennett by wearing white T-shirts reading “I heart Cole,” and others read “I heart Zoe,” the other campaign manager.
Opposing voices
Andrew Larsen, a 20-year-old UF acting junior, was an independent College of the Arts senator this past year. There was no question as to who would win the seats, he said, but he showed up to hear the vote totals, see the student turnout and congratulate people he has worked with in SG.
Larsen said he knows many great people in Vision, but he’s concerned to see what this next year will look like with no party pushback in the senate chamber.
“Our student government in the past two years has become less representative, less proactive, less serving of the students when we see big issues that affect all students,” Larsen said, “such as our busing being decreased, our libraries being closed, the presence of ICE on our campus.”
Jennifer Chistik, a 21-year-old UF accounting junior, was a Change Party ambassador last year. Chistik said it made her sad to see Vision dominate SG, a phenomenon she described as a “train wreck.” With no competition, the party won’t have the inspiration to facilitate new ideas, she said.
“There’s no incentive to have innovation,” she said. “There is no new voices.”
Chistik reached out to former Change ambassadors to discuss running against Vision again, but the past ambassadors were discouraged after their party’s dissolution. She even considered running herself but decided it wasn't worth the effort.
“When you have the whole party backing versus one voice, it’s so easy to stifle out anyone else,” Chistik said.
Presley Sachs, a 22-year-old UF education senior, said she’s engaged with UF politics all four years and wasn’t surprised about the election results.
“If one person showed up to vote, they would have won,” she said.
She hopes the results of this election will inspire people to learn more about SG and create new, independent parties in the future, she said.
Sofia Meyers, Nevaeh Baker Harris, Leona Masangkay, Alabama Weninegar and Cameron Countryman contributed to this report.
Live updates from the polls:
Reitz Union Print Lab 6:10 p.m.
Zachary Seiden, a 19-year-old UF business administration sophomore, walked out of the Reitz Union print lab with his “I Voted” sticker in hand. For him, voting for Vision party was an obvious choice, even if it was the only party on the ballot, he said.
“I just think they know what they’re doing,” he said. “I went all the way through on Vision party. I don’t remember the exact names, but they’re great people over there.”
— Nevaeh Baker Harris
Reitz Union Print Lab, 4:56 p.m.
Ella Gerace, a 21-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation management senior, said she chose not to vote because the elections felt less important to her. She noticed less student outreach this year, she said, and with only one party on the ballot, that apathy was even stronger.
“I remember when I was in my earlier time at UF they were, they definitely, I think, sought people out a little bit more,” she said.
– Logan McBride
Reitz Union Print Lab, 4:53 p.m.
For Owen Courtright, an 18-year-old UF finance freshman, the elections didn’t carry much significance. Courtright said he only learned about them two days before Election Day, and he ultimately showed up to give his friend the “I voted” sticker for an organization he was involved in.
The process didn’t feel authentic, Courtright said.
“When there’s one person on the ballot it’s like, not much of an election.” he said.
– Logan McBride
Keys Residential Complex, 4:42 p.m.
Students slowly sprinkled into the polling center at the Keys Residential Complex as the last hours to vote grew closer.
Srini Subramanian, a 19-year-old UF computer science student, said he voted for Vision Party because he wanted to encourage his friends involved in the election.
“I just came to show support and vote for them,” he said.
In the coming semester, Subramanian said he hopes to see more career connection opportunities introduced for engineering students.
– Maria Arruda
Heavener Hall, 4:40 p.m.
Voices echoed from the polling center through the quiet hallways of Heavener Hall during the final hours of voting.
Philip Fishbein, a 19-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology freshman, said he voted for Vision because he has friends in the party.
“It’s important to vote,” Fishbein said. “You do it in real life, and you do it for fake college life.”
– Cameron Countryman
Norman Hall Education Library, 3:58 pm
The library was bustling with numerous students, many of whom did not know elections were occurring and weren’t planning to vote.
Greg Olszyk, a 22-year-old UF computer science senior, said he wasn’t voting because he lost track of the voting window due to a busy semester
Despite this, Greg said he believes it is important for students to vote as it ensures the voice leading Student Government is the voice of the students.
– Swasthi Maharaj
Reitz Union Print Lab, 2:59 pm
Drew Leeber, a 19-year-old UF information systems sophomore, said he voted because of his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta. However, Leeber said that he isn’t too concerned about campus issues overall and came out to support his friends.
“There's not really much that I see that needs to be changed,” he said. “My friend is running, but he's for a different major, so I couldn't vote for him, but I still want to support his party.”
– Kaitlyn McCormack
Norman Hall Education Library, 2:47 p.m.
Madelyn Svenson, a 20-year-old UF neuroscience junior, said she voted for Matthew Bravo for student body president. Svenson said Bravo was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last fall and set up a GoFundMe to support others living with blood cancer.
“I think that’s really cool,” she said.
– Alabama Weninegar
Norman Hall Education Library, 2:42 p.m.
Peyton Ressler, an 18-year-old UF political science and war statecraft strategy freshman, voted for Matthew Bravo. Ressler said she’s seen Bravo’s content on social media platforms and felt confident in his experience.
Ressler said she thinks Vision has served the university and students well in their past terms, but she thinks the fact they are the only party running is not ideal.
“We definitely have a one-party system going on.” she said, “Maybe they should be contested.”
– Alabama Weninegar
Norman Hall Education Library, 2:17 p.m.
Foot traffic increased as Hayley Prete, a 22-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology senior, came out to vote for her sorority. She was caught by surprise when she noticed there was only one person under each ballot. Prete said it felt weird voting with only a single option.
“What is the point of this then?” she said.
– Alabama Weninegar
Norman Hall Education Library, 2:11 p.m.
Andrea Alvarez, a 21-year-old UF microbiology senior, stopped by the Norman Hall Library polling site on her way home from her physics class, casting her vote on behalf of sorority requirements.
Alvarez said she didn’t remember most of the names on the ballot, but she recalled voting for Matthew Bravo as student body president. She said there was no specific reason for her vote of choice.
“I just had to vote for my sorority,” she said.
-Alabama Weninegar
UF Health Science Library, 2:10 p.m.
No students were seen in the UF Health Science Library voting area around 2 p.m.. Students continued to move in and out of the library, but none stopped by the polls.
– Leona Masangkay
Norman Hall Education Library, 1:54 p.m.
Sophia Dicus, 18-year-old UF finance freshman, went to the quiet library in Norman Hall to vote. Dicus said she voted because she thinks having representation is important, it was also required by her sorority.
“It’s important to vote for your candidates on campus and have representation,” she said.
Dicus said she voted for Vision, since it was the only available party.
-Alabama Weninegar
Norman Hall Education Library, 1:49 p.m.
Some students showed up to Norman just to get a voting sticker for their Greek life affiliations.
Samantha Yoel, a 19-year-old UF marketing freshman, said she came to Norman to vote as a requirement for her sorority. She said she voted for Vision, since there was no other party running.
“I honestly just voted for whoever was there,” Yoel said, “I don't think there were different options.”
– Alabama Weninegar
Norman Hall Education Library, 1:44 p.m.
Students walked in and out of Norman’s Hall Educational Library, casting votes for student government.
Jesse Oshins, a 20-year-old UF finance sophomore, said he voted for the Vision Party to “keep Greek life on campus”. For the business school representative, Oshins said he voted for his friend, Noah Disher.
“He’s a great candidate and he can do great things,” Oshins said.
– Alabama Weninegar
Cypress Hall, 1:30 p.m.
No students were seen going in or out of the Cypress Hall front doors to the voting space at around 1:30 p.m. Thirty minutes later, although sunny with a chill breeze, the atmosphere remained the same.
– Leona Masangkay
Reitz Union Print Lab, 12:07 pm
Noah Andreu, a 19-year-old UF finance freshman, said he voted because of his fraternity. Regardless of what motivates students to vote, participating in the election is still important, he said.
“It's important because they [elected officials] impact the legislation, the decisions made around here,” Andreu said. “Choosing the right person is pretty important.”
– Grace Larson
Reitz Union Print Lab, 10:19 am
For Wyatt Schuss, a 20-year-old UF information systems junior, Vision Party is running unopposed for a reason.
Schuss has voted in every SG election since he arrived on campus, and has watched the number of parties dwindle down to one. Last Fall, Vision ran against three third-party candidates. This year, they face no opposition.
As a member of Greek life, Schuss knows many people on the ballot and voted for them. This semester, he came to support Jackson Burch, who is running to be an undergraduate freshman class senator.
“It’s no coincidence that Vision’s the only one left,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s the only party that has the most support by everyone around campus, and if it was the other way around, there would still be parties to compete.”
– Juliana DeFillipo
This is an Alligator staff report.
