Despite a six-fold increase in turnout for the spring 2025 SGA officer elections, turnout for last week’s senator elections did not recover from last-year’s record low.
The results for Shippensburg University’s Student Government Association senate elections were announced on April 18. Only 63 votes were cast, compared to 301 in the officer elections and 61 for last year’s senator election.
Of the 14 positions up for grabs, only five were filled.
Ryan Mills was elected as the senator representing the College of Arts and Sciences. Mills, who has not previously served in SGA, stands out as the newcomer.
The other four winners were re-elected to seats they currently hold that represent academic class years. Kenny Tran and Kyle Marzullo will continue to represent the Class of 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Each class has two seats in the senate, but currently Tran and Marzullo are the sole senators for those years. The Class of 2028 senator positions did have both seats filled, with Chase Garrison and Matt Jones being re-elected.
Only four candidates submitted petitions to be placed on the ballot prior to the election. Each of them, running unopposed, won their respective seats. Only one write-in candidate, Jones, secured the necessary five votes to win as a write-in.
One additional seat was filled via write-in votes, but the winner declined the position. Lillian Sellers, the current SGA president, received enough votes for the Graduate Student Senator position, but declined according to SUSSI Office Manager Allie Rippeon.
Sellers explained that while she is thankful for those who decided to write her in as a candidate, it is time for her to step away from SGA. She described her journey from class senator to SGA president as fierce and one that has tested her and helped her grow.
“However, as a graduate student I am entering a new chapter,” Sellers said. She plans to focus on her graduate studies and her internship, and wants to give the new SGA leadership the breathing room it needs to develop.
As it stands right now, the 2025-2026 SGA has nine elected members: four officers and five senators. They will be joined by several appointed senators, representing different areas of campus life such as the Residence Hall Association, Multicultural Student Affairs, Greek Life and athletics.
The remaining vacant positions will be added to the fall election ballot, which is traditionally meant only to elect the two incoming first-year senator positions.
“However, as a graduate student I am entering a new chapter,” Sellers said. She plans to focus on her graduate studies and her internship, and wants to give the new SGA leadership the breathing room it needs to develop.
As it stands right now, the 2025-2026 SGA has nine elected members: four officers and five senators. They will be joined by several appointed senators, representing different areas of campus life such as the Residence Hall Association, Multicultural Student Affairs, Greek Life, and athletics.
The remaining vacant positions will be added to the fall election ballot, which is traditionally meant only to elect the two incoming first-year senator positions.
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