Editor’s note: This story has been updated with quotes and a full list of elected senators. 

Caden Lucas and his ticket of Vice-President-Elect Jakob Barker and Chief Financial Officer-Elect Will Derryberry won the Student Government Association spring election Wednesday and will serve during the 2026-27 academic year.

Lucas is a WKU Spiritmaster, the chairman of the Hilltoppers Vote Coalition and he works for the City of Bowling Green’s Downtown Development Division. “Lead, build, deliver,” is Lucas’s ticket motto.

Lucas’ main campaign goal is to increase awareness of SGA operations and promote outreach to the student body, he said during his opening statement at a town hall panel discussion in Downing Student Union Auditorium Tuesday, April 8. Lucas said that his ticket focused on their collective experience in SGA and that each member of his ticket views SGA as a family.

Lucas said he felt “electric” after he was announced the winner. He said the “work starts tomorrow,” and Lucas and his team plan to start writing letters of gratitude to everyone who contributed to their victory.

“We have so many people to thank for this journey and for their help in getting us here,” Lucas said. “It’s required a village, truely, and the first thing we’re going to do tomorrow is sit down and write a bunch of thank you cards to these people.”

Barker, a sophomore senator, has previous experience working with SGA scholarships as the SGA Student Experience Committee chair, reworked the grading process and expanded the Bluegrass Leadership scholarship to Tennessee applicants. As Student Body Vice President, Barker plans to transition applications from paper to digital. He also said that as WKU transitions from the Student Life Foundation to a public-private partnership, there still needs to be student representation when decisions are being made.

Barker said he also has a lot of gratitude for everyone who has helped out with and supported the campaign. He said after their team writes letters of appreciation, they plan to get started with their mission immediately.

“We’re going to start writing emails, start making connections, start figuring out everything we promised on the campaign trail, and we look forward to delivering to the student body,” Barker said.

Derryberry, a sophomore senator, said as the Chief Financial Officer, he doesn’t plan to lower the stipends the SGA’s executive branch receives. He said he never saw himself getting this position when he first came to WKU, but he’s looking forward to getting started tomorrow with Lucas and Barker.

Lucas will follow Student Body President Rush Robinson, who served in the position for one year. Barker will follow Student Body Vice President Savanna Kurtz, and Derryberry will follow Chief Financial Officer Gabriel Jordan.

Lucas won against Student Body Presidential Candidate Jaden Marshall. Marshall said it was “a whirlwind of emotions.” 

Marshall said his team tabled every day, and they put everything they had into this campaign. He said if nothing else, this campaign showed students who look like him that it’s possible to campaign and become the first Black male Student Body President.

“I am sad of course, but when you give all that you can give, you can’t help but just be thankful,” Marshall said.

Robinson said SGA was “blessed” to have an election where both candidates were great decisions for the role as Student Body President. 

“I’m happy to be someone that he will hopefully lean on as he starts his transition,” Robinson said. “I’m happy to be there for them.”

Other results from the election include:

Senior Senators

• Emily Oden
• Amelia Tucker
• Lainey Lindsey

Junior Senators

• Cayden Bailey
• Veronica Butler
• Evan Tuck

Sophomore Senators

• Jackson Smith 
• Landon Terry
• Carter Smith

Potter College of Art and Letters Senator

• Gabi Pace

First Generation Senator

• Jade Ismail

Gordon Ford College of Business Senator

• Tyreesha Morris

College of Health and Human Services Senator

• Garrett Price

Intercultural Student Engagement Center Senator

• Serenity Martin

Transfer Non-Traditional Senator

• Trent Miller

College of Educational and Behavioral Sciences Senator

• Henry Fisher

Ogden Senator 

• Hylton Brumley 

Mahurin Honors College Senator

• Aly Johnson

At-Large Senators

• Gage Czirr
• Molly Ricke
• Daniel Campbell
• Miles Harvey
• Emma Hardesty
• Clayton Roberts
• Miranda Heuglin
• Elizabeth Allen
• Isaiah Wilson
• Paul Fugget
• Victory Okoroji
• Ethan Vietze
• Simon Petruska