From rejection to winning unanimous support from the ASUO Senate within two months, newly appointed Elections Board Coordinator MacGregor Ehlen is a firsthand witness to the ASUO’s quick change of heart.
On Nov. 13 of last year, Ehlen went to senate to be approved of his appointment to the board by the ASUO Executive. Ehlen’s approval was expected to be simple, yet it was anything but.
Ehlen’s credentials are strong. He was a member of Santa Clara University’s senate for two years, he worked on Creswell City Councilman Jacob Daniels’ election as a field director in 2012 and he started his own campaign consultant firm called The Ehlen Group.
On top of his credentials, Ehlen was the only applicant for the position.
However, the senate was unconvinced.
The first concern senate voiced in opposition to Ehlen’s appointment was his relationship with ASUO President Sam Dotters-Katz. The job of the elections coordinator is to regulate all the parties involved in elections. With Ehlen being friends with Dotters-Katz, senate found it difficult to believe that he would make a bipartisan decision.
“He’s a friend of mine, but I don’t think that would have much bearing over my decision,” Ehlen said. “I can definitely assure you I will not give anyone advantages because they’re a friend.”
Ehlen also admitted that the Executive branch didn’t conduct an interview prior to selecting him for the position, which was concerning to senate.
“I don’t feel comfortable voting ‘yes’ because that will set a low precedent for us,” Sen. Amy Jones said in the meeting. “Just because we don’t confirm the applicant tonight doesn’t mean he isn’t an applicant in the future.”
After three hours of debate, Ehlen pulled his application. Ehlen’s plan was for the ASUO to advertise for the position again to see if they could get more applicants.
The position was advertised, and again no one applied – except for Ehlen.
“While we re-opened the application process and continued our outreach, no other applicants were received,” Dotters-Katz said. “Chief Justice Allison Apana, Senate President Matthew Miyamoto and myself concluded an in-person interview of Mr. Ehlen, and his nomination was supported by all involved.”
Apana believes Ehlen’s qualifications make him a competent and collaborative candidate who can bring practical knowledge to the position.
“I personally voted to appoint him as Election Board chair because of his experience in politics and his eagerness to learn and lead others,” Apana said. “I admire his passion and perseverance shown through his repeated attempts to obtain this position.”
With sweeping recommendations from the appointment board, senate showed no hesitance of Ehlen’s approval the second time around, unanimously making him the new Elections Board coordinator months after his first appointment. Whether his friendship with Dotters-Katz or him being the only option turns out to be a negative for him during the upcoming election is uncertain. Either way, Ehlen says he’s ready for the challenge.
“What I want to do is make sure that everything is done fairly, and nobody is bending the rule,” Ehlen said. “I know how elections are run, and I know what tricks are used. I don’t want the elections to leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.”