Alex Mills will be the first graduate student in recent memory to serve in the position of speaker of Student Congress.
Mills, who previously served as speaker pro tempore, will replace Deanna Santoro, who stepped down to pursue a case against the Board of Elections earlier this month.
Mills was nominated by members Adam Horowitz and Kristen Johnson, and he ran unopposed after Zach De La Rosa, chairman of the rules and judiciary committee, refused to accept a nomination for the position.
Although the term only lasts one more month, the role of speaker will still be prominent in the coming weeks as Congress gives its input on the annual budget talks.
“My priority is the annual budget bill,” Mills said. “Let’s be honest, we have one month left. Let’s get it done and get it done right.”
The contest to fill Mills’ former position as speaker pro tempore proved to be the more hotly contested.
Horowitz and De La Rosa were both nominated for the role, which is the second-highest position in the body and is seen as a stepping stone to the speaker position.
De La Rosa was elected to the position by a vote of 21-5.
De La Rosa said he decided to run for speaker pro tempore rather than speaker because Mills was already serving in the role on an interim basis.