Conservative student wins Arizona student gov election despite attempts to disqualify him
Benjamin Jackson won his position as student senator by a large margin, yet was disqualified by other students on alleged technicalities.
Jackson, who was one of two students not to list ‘preferred pronouns’ on his campaign profile, appealed the decision and won, being reinstated.
A conservative student won a landslide victory in a bid for student government senator at one of Arizona’s largest universities–even though some students at the school tried to disqualify him from office.
Benjamin Jackson, a campus conservative, was recently elected to the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA) as a “College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Senator.”
As a member of ASUA, Jackson hopes to promote campus unity by ensuring that all student organizations are treated equally.
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“Every club and student organization on campus deserves fair and equal treatment, no matter what,” Jackson wrote in a statement on his campaign profile. “With your support we can ensure our campus is more secure and united than ever before.”
Jackson was only one of two students on the campaign trail who declined to include personal pronouns on his profile. Jackson and the other candidate who refused to do so, Arturo Whipple, are both members of the College Republicans at the University.
Jackson said in a post on X that he faced discrimination on the campaign trail for his political views.
“I have faced political persecution first as a member of the UofA College Republicans and now as a candidate for student government,” he wrote. “There is no place for these types of authoritarian tactics on our college campuses.”
Although Jackson won his position with more votes than any other student running for office with ASUA, some ASUA students disqualified him from office after his election victory, allegedly on the basis of technicalities related to supposed campaigning rules violations, as reported by College Republicans of America.
Though Jackson was disqualified, he appealed the decision with the student government’s Supreme Court, which allowed him to assume his position as senator.
“I am thrilled to announce that the ASUA Supreme Court has ruled in my favor, allowing me to assume the office I was elected for,” Jackson said in a post on Instagram. “We must now focus on the most pressing issues facing our university like out-of-control spending, campus safety, and ensuring all voices are heard in YOUR student government.”
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A University of Arizona spokesperson told Campus Reform: “[ASUA] is self-governed in accordance with its own bylaws and constitution, which includes the administration and regulation of student government elections. The University of Arizona is equally committed to fairness and to providing an environment where all students can thrive regardless of their political beliefs.”
Jackson is a 2024 graduate of a Campus Election Workshop (CEW) run by the Leadership Institute, Campus Reform’s parent organization. Individuals interested in hosting a CEW at their own campus can apply here.
Campus Reform has reached out to the University of Arizona and Benjamin Jackson for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.