Bobby McAlpine and Madison Mason won the 2023 election for Undergraduate Student Government president and vice president with 73 percent of the vote. Courtesy of Madison Mason

After over a week of campaigning, Ohio State elected Bobby McAlpine and Madison Mason as the next Undergraduate Student Government president and vice president. 

McAlpine, a third-year in electrical engineering and political science, and Mason, a third-year in political science, won with 73 percent of the vote, beating Michael Taylor and Ming Lei who had 23 percent. 

“We are really excited to get to work advocating on behalf of all students and putting into action the things that we’ve said throughout this campaign, specifically bridging the gap between USG and the student body,” McAlpine said in a statement. “We are ready to make Ohio State the best it can be for all students.”

Out of 2,315 presidential votes cast by students, McAlpine, USG’s senior director of engagement, and Mason, USG’s senior director of issues, scored 1,694 votes. 

McAlpine and Mason’s campaign was centered around the idea of “bridging the gap” between USG and the student body as well as helping students access resources for their mental health. They said they wanted to help every student achieve balance in their college life. McAlpine and Mason hope to give back to students through campuswide events, safety devices and finals care packages. 

The voting turnout for students was 42 percent lower from last year’s 4,071 votes. There were 91 write-in votes.

Taylor, a third-year in finance, and Lei, a third-year in finance and economics, received 530 votes. With no ties to USG, their campaign wanted to show that the average student is what USG needs to give back to students effectively. 

“The whole reason I ran for USG is because there were things that I wanted to see improved and I could either complain about it or I could do something about it,” Taylor said. “But I put my best foot forward and I’m happy with the effort that I put into it and the learning experiences I got out of it.”

McAlpine and Mason will replace current USG President Andrew Pierce and Vice President Derek Moore. The time and place of inauguration is to be announced.

This story was updated at 5:07 p.m. Friday to include comment from Bobby McAlpine.