Over the past week, students interested in leadership positions within the Associated Students of Boise State (ASBSU) have been campaigning on campus. From issues of campus affordability, transparency and promoting campus resources, each campaign has a vision for what it wants to bring to the Boise State student experience.
Meet your 26-27 presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Rebecca Kay, David Bru
Rebecca Kay, presidential candidate, and David Bru, vice presidential candidate, are looking to be changemakers in ASBSU. Kay and Bru are campaigning with The Stallions.
Kay is a junior studying Marketing and transferred to Boise State after receiving her associates degree at CWI. During her time at CWI, she served as student body president and “fell in love with” student government. Currently, she serves in the role of non-traditional student representative for ASBSU.
Bru is studying Illustration, and also made the transfer from CWI to Boise State. Bru served as a senator during his time at CWI and spent a semester as the underserved populations representative for ASBSU.
The pillars of Kay and Bru’s campaign are allowing students to be involved in major decisions, advocating for student needs and remaining transparent with the student body. Their campaign statement on ASBSU’s website states they are here to “lead with action” and are dedicated to bringing ASBSU “directly to you.”
In an interview with The Arbiter, the duo said if elected, they would begin hosting weekly open public works meetings in Albertsons Library, where members of ASBSU could work on legislation in collaboration and constituents could give their input on bills being developed. They also emphasized holding office hours, something Kay previously did in her leadership position at CWI.
The team would also like to “close the gap” between students and ASBSU, as well as within ASBSU itself. To do this, they would host team bonding events internally, actively meet with all club leaders and respond to criticism and negative perceptions of ASBSU publicly.
“People who have problems with the university, people who have problems with ASBSU — that is who we’re running for,” Bru said.
Kay and Bru are also campaigning on the promise of helping students pay for parking passes. Bru mentioned they could potentially redirect ASBSU funds to subsidize parking passes for lower-income students and those who receive scholarships that do not cover parking. Kay also said she would like to work with university departments to identify or recommend students who would qualify rather than ASBSU selecting them.
Charlotte McNeely, AJ Salvetti
Charlotte McNeely, presidential candidate and AJ Salvetti, vice presidential candidate, are looking to blaze new trails for ASBSU. McNeely and Salvetti are campaigning with The Trailblazers.
McNeely says her passion for politics began as early as fourth grade. She currently serves as the ASBSU senate lead and School of Public Service senator.
California Native Salvetti, is the current president of Sigma Chi and said that’s where his style of leadership was formed. “I really just enjoy making sure that everyone feels like they’re involved and that they have a place in whatever community or organization it may be.”
The key pillars of the Trailblazers campaign are affordability, advocacy and “uplifting the student experience,” according to their bio on ASBSU’s website.
The duo seeks to promote scholarships, limit fees and make receiving funding for clubs easier.
McNeely and Salvetti also want “stronger student representation in decisions that impact campus life” and to spread awareness of on campus resources like the Campus Food Pantry and counseling services.
McNeely highlighted the importance of transparency in student government, noting that as someone with a background in student media, ASBSU should have an active newsletter and consistently communicate with outlets.
McNeely touched on the team’s mental health initiatives as well as making students aware of what is available to them on campus.
“How can we work to make BSU a place that’s safe for all that has resources for mental health, that has resources for food, for all of these different aspects, and that goes into our goal of protecting that holistic student?” she asked. “If that holistic student is just going to school and working, because they have to pay for that — you can’t do that. You need to have all those pieces fall into place. That is something that we will be working on 100% next year, to cater to that holistic person, because they matter.”
Carson Cole, Maddy Riley
Presidential candidate Carson Cole is a junior studying Finance, Accounting and ITM. Cole has served as ASBSU’s Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, an Assembly member and a member of the Government Relations Committee.
Vice Presidential candidate Maddy Riley is a junior studying Health Science and has no prior experience in ASBSU.
According to their campaign statement on ASBSU’s website, the duo aims to “energize, engage and empower” students at Boise State. Their platform includes increasing “official collaboration” among student organizations, Greek life and campus leadership, improving the allocation of funds for student clubs and identifying additional funding sources outside of ASBSU. The duo also emphasizes they will ensure tuition, parking and housing will become more affordable while securing additional scholarships.
Cole and Riley are campaigning with The Charge.
The Arbiter contacted all candidates for interviews. The Charge candidates responded but said they were unable to participate before the publication’s deadline.
Voting for the 2026 elections will be held April 7-8. Elections will be conducted through an online ballot, which will be sent to all students via their student email account.
