For the purpose of this article, I’m going to use the term “student politician” to refer to any student who follows predetermined procedures for becoming an officer in or representative of an organization of which they are a member. 

I am a student politician; I currently serve in a position to which I was elected by my constituency. This spring, I’m hoping to renew my status as a student politician by running for an off-campus senator seat in the Iowa State University Student Government. Despite my great appreciation for my current position and excitement for the opportunities available to me in Student Government, both positions have provided me with cause for concern in the student leadership community. This is because I find myself in a very familiar situation this year, as I did last spring: I’m running uncontested. 

This is not to say that there are no other candidates running for an off-campus senator seat. In fact, there are eight candidates running for the election as of the publication of this article; what makes the race uncontested is that there are 10 off-campus senator seats to fill. This means that, so long as they complete their outreach credits, don’t get expelled from the race and receive the minimum number of votes, all eight of these candidates will be seated to the Senate in April. Interestingly, and perhaps disappointingly, none of the senatorial races are contested, and all current candidates will be seated to the Senate if they follow the election code fully. 

I’m not making this point to discourage you from voting, especially considering the presidential and vice-presidential race is contested and last year’s race was won by only a handful of votes. I believe it’s more important than ever for you to exercise your right to vote, whether it be in this Student Government election or the upcoming federal midterms. 

The reason I wanted to bring to light this unique and undesirable situation is because it could lead to an issue where we simply don’t have the student leadership capacity to run our organizations. It’s a highlight of orientation: that Iowa State has 800 student organizations, which we should get involved in, show care for and celebrate during our time here. However, I’ve also experienced that some of these organizations are in decline, and the student leaders who run them are strained because they must fill multiple roles at once in multiple organizations, while representatives and general assembly members gradually disappear. 

Beyond the personal gratification that (I assume) would come along with winning a contested officer or representative election, there is incredible social, technical and professional benefit to be gained by being a member of these organizations. If you aren’t personally interested in Student Government, there are also councils for identities, academic majors and residence areas. In my current area of leadership, I can tell you that there is a need for 10% of residents in every house and 2% of residents every hall to become student politicians. And, as I’ve mentioned before, all senator races in the upcoming Student Government election are uncontested. And who knows what other officer and representative roles exist at Iowa State that need to be filled? 

So, my call to action is this: if not this election term, but perhaps next, please give serious consideration to becoming a student politician. While I can’t guarantee your position will be easy (the opposite is actually true), I can guarantee that you will feel accomplished, you will appreciate the experiences you have in student leadership, advocacy and representation, and you will meet individuals who inspire, and are inspired by, you. 

If you read this far in the article, thank you so much for being just as interested and concerned as I am. I’m running for off-campus senator to focus on collaboration between Student Government, other university groups and the City of Ames; Advocacy, of the varied needs of off-campus students, including transportation, housing costs and public safety; and leadership, ensuring the student leadership experience is enjoyable, accessible and meaningful for our students. If you’re interested in learning more or have suggestions for me during my term, my email is below and if you’re living off-campus for the fall of 2026, I’d really appreciate your vote.  

Self-written bio: Grant Pautsch is a sophomore student at Iowa State and an off-campus senator candidate. Questions about his platform or responses to this article should be directed to [email protected].