The EMPOWER ticket won the 2026 IU Student Government executive election, according to preliminary results released Friday by Election Director Jack Tyndall. EMPOWER earned 62.06% of the total vote, while FORWARD received 37.93%.
Junior Alexa Avellaneda and sophomore Anna Sofia Nguyen Loeb comprise the 2026 EMPOWER ticket. President-elect Avellaneda is an IUSG congressional representative majoring in political science and minoring in public relations. She is also the vice president of marketing of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc. Loeb, who is majoring in music business and minoring in sociology and Spanish, is involved with the Vietnamese Student Association and is a student ambassador for the Jacobs School of Music.
“This victory represents more than just being elected as Student Body President and Vice President,” Avallaneda wrote in a statement to the Indiana Daily Student. “It reflects the shared strength of a community that came together around a shared vision for a more transparent, equitable, and student-centered IU.”
In spring 2025, EMPOWER received 45.61% of the total vote, the second-place ticket to ACTION. The EMPOWER ticket was led by then-sophomores Omeed Mehrzad and Sarah Alhaddad.
In the statement, Avellaneda said the momentum and relationships built by the spring 2025 run established the foundation for the current campaign.
“Over time, our coalition expanded to include a wide range of student organizations, communities, and individuals who believe deeply in improving the daily livelihood of students and strengthening accountability for IU administration,” Avellaneda wrote.
EMPOWER emphasized advocacy, diversity and development during its campaign. EMPOWER received endorsements from student organizations including the Middle Eastern Northern African Association, Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition, Queer Student Union, the Minority Association of Pre-Med Students and Latinos Unidos.
In its official policy document, EMPOWER supported values like student representation and safety, free speech and diversity, equity and inclusion. EMPOWER’s policy proposals include increased campus parking, longer dining hours, an IUSG Sexual Assault Survivors’ Fund and a $15 campus minimum wage.
Tyndall released preliminary voting results on the IUSG website Friday, just over a day after voting closed Wednesday. In a statement on the IUSG website, Tyndall wrote the election was one of the most successful in turnout, with “roughly 4,000 students casting ballots despite the week of rain.” There were 5,389 votes cast last spring.
In an email addressed to the candidates, Tyndall wrote the preliminary results are not final and the IUSG Supreme Court has responsibility for certifying the results. According to the IUSG website, the court will certify the results five days after the voting period, financial statements are submitted and pending election violation cases have been resolved.
