2011 Student Election

The 2011 student election at SVSU elected the Student Association President and Representatives for the 2011-12 academic year. The results of the election were announced on March 31. Ted Goodman was elected president, defeating incumbent Julie Boon, Daniel Chapman, and Elizabeth Calloway by a vote of 415-405-45-21. At the time, the presidential election resulted in the closest vote in SVSU history.

Goodman prevailed in the presidential election with a positive campaign message and a well-organized grassroots effort, announcing his candidacy early, in February. In addition to running for Student Association President, Goodman was actively involved in partisan politics, serving as secretary of the Michigan Federation of College Republicans as well as president of the College Republicans at SVSU.

His campaign proposed a change to the association's composition by implementing representation by RSO or college, which never took place.

Goodman's election represented an incredible reputation-comeback after he left office in disgrace the November before, resigning as a Representative under controversial circumstances. Goodman utilized the student body’s animosity after SVSU was poised to lose more state funding in 2011 than in any year in school history at the time. He also capitalized on the Boon administration’s role in allowing the erosion of resident student rights after SVSU implemented policies without giving students an advisory role. During the campaign, Goodman steadfastly refused to engage in any negative campaigning.

Boon Campaign
Boon’s campaign was dogged from the beginning of the race by allegations of campaign violations and impropriety. Her campaign was asked to take down at least two posters in the concourse between Brown and Wickes Halls after a formal complaint was submitted Election Commission Advisor Nic Taylor by three of the five candidates running for president. Campaign guidelines had stated that candidates were only permitted to post materials on one window in the concourse.

There were also allegations that a volunteer for Ms. Boon’s campaign was asking passers-by in a hall way to deface campaign posters for Chapman. Jeremy Jones, a representative of Boon’s campaign, confirmed that the incident took place, but he never identified the volunteer.

Boon came into the race with widespread institutional support, including the support of resident group leadership and a majority of the 2010-11 Student Association Representatives who dubbed their group campaign effort the "League of Leaders."