The SA hosted a re-vote between the original candidates Wednesday, April 8. One thousand, six hundred ninety-one students voted in the re-vote, almost the exact same number as in the primary election, with 818 votes for Clifton, 449 for Vanderburg, 424 for Nathan Dullnig and 10 students choosing to abstain.
The re-vote occurred when Nathan Dullnig, a former presidential candidate, contested the initial election on Wednesday, April 1, after campus-wide difficulties with the electronic voting process.
While the contest did prolong the electoral process, Vanderburg and Clifton said they understood Dullnig’s position and would have done something similar if they had been in his position.
“I think that it is important for the legitimacy of the SA for next year to be as completely open as possible with this, so I think it was the right decision,” Vanderburg said.
With each candidate once again vying for the presidential office, each said they brought something unique to the table that would benefit the student body.
With service the main goal of his campaign, Vanderburg said that his unique ability and experience with service set him apart from Clifton and Dullnig.
“I’ve really spent a lot of time on personal growth, going over to Africa and learning things,” Vanderburg said.
Vanderburg also said it would be important for the next SA president to be diverse, a quality he said he has.
“You have to be multi-faceted because being SA president is a difficult job, and your power to do things for students is totally dependent on how you work with the students and the administration,” Vanderburg said.
Experience was the battle cry of Clifton’s campaign, something he said would give him the ability to fulfill promises and help the student body in a variety of ways, from a new and improved laundry system to opening up the parking lot behind the Rhodes field house for overnight parking.
“Getting stuff done, there’s no questions about my track record,” Clifton said. “I can and will get stuff done if given the opportunity and if given the ideas by the students.”
Dullnig said that it was his ability to relate to a variety of students across Harding’s campus that would aid him in the re-election.
“If anything, I would say that I’m more a candidate of the people,” Dullnig said. “I feel like I know a lot of different types of people on campus, whether it be people who are in clubs or not in social clubs … I just want to use that to bring the campus together.”
Now, with Vanderburg and Clifton the only candidates remaining, Dullnig said he remains confident that the SA will be in good hands and plans to continue working with the SA.
“Whoever wins in the run-off will do a great job, and I’m excited to see how that works out,” Dullnig said.
Vanderburg and Clifton said they were glad to see so many students vote and hope the student body’s enthusiasm continues in the run-off Friday.
“I think the more people that you have vote, the better the SA. I look forward to the run-off Friday,” Clifton said.
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