Mary Kate Gallagher elected senate vice president

Mary Kate Gallagher was sworn into the position of Ohio University Student Senate vice president after Senate’s meeting Wednesday, just one week after the election was opened to all Ohio University students.Former Residence Life Commissioner Gallagher beat out Veterans’ Affairs Senator Tyler Daniels with 300 votes, compared to Daniels’ 228. Satirical write-in candidate Max the Dog received 20 votes. Overall, 608 votes were cast. The election was opened to the general student body in a suspended-rules motion at last week’s general body meeting.“I’d just like to thank everyone for voting,” Gallagher said after taking her place to the right of President Anna Morton at the executive table.Former Board of Elections Chair Emma Clark stepped up to run the emergency election, working with the Office of Information Technology to reopen the online-voting site traditionally used in the spring during the Senate general elections.Before Gallagher was allowed to take her seat, newly-elected Treasurer Adam Brown moved to suspend Senate’s rules and procedures in order to appoint her to an at-large senator position, as the Senate constitution does not currently allow candidates outside of Student Senate to assume office outside of a general election.Gallagher resigned from her former position in September following inappropriate comments made on Twitter by former Senate President Nick Southall. She cited an unhealthy Senate culture as her reason for stepping down.In his adviser’s report, Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi expressed his pride in how Senate ran the election and thanked Clark for stepping up to run the election.Senate also passed a resolution to appoint Residents’ Action Council Member Jacob Haskins to a vacant east green senator position, and appoint Leanne Ketchum as budget chair, replacing now-Treasurer Adam Brown.