Kansas State’s Student Governing Association held the 2026-27 Presidential Candidate Debate on Feb. 19 in the K-State Student Union courtyard. Both candidate parties, Christian Penã and Caden Bastian, along with Lauren Wolter and Matt Hendricks, discussed their goals if elected and spoke to the student body.
In opening statements, presidential candidate Christian Penã discussed the importance of open communication outside SGA if elected.
“My goal is simple as student body president,” Peña said. “If elected, I hope to make SGA more transparent and accessible to all here at Kansas State. We hope to continue to break down barriers and make everyone feel included in the decisions we make within SGA.”
Presidential candidate Lauren Wolter emphasized their campaign’s mission statement: Innovate, Inspire and Impact.
“My vision for this role is to truly live out Matt and I’s ‘whys’ and bring to the forefront the platform we spent over six months developing,” Wolter explained. “This is our opportunity to truly make a lasting difference at K-State.”
The event was attended by supporters of both campaigns, as well as K-State students who wanted to gain a better understanding of the candidates. Peter Wallace, senior in news and sports media, said he was an unbiased attendee who wanted to learn more about the candidates.
“I don’t know much about SGA, so it’s kind of a learning experience for me to see what they’re all about, see what their goals are and what they bring to help the student body,” Wallace said. “It’s a great opportunity to see an objective look at the candidates and their positions.”
Current student body president Brady Kappelmann attended to show his support for SGA. He was relieved to have a transitional role this year, rather than campaigning.
“I’m really excited to hear the different ideas that both these campaigns have,” Kappelmann said. “It’s been a lot of fun following along this year, not having to worry about campaigning ourselves, but getting to see some of the new ideas that both the campaigns are bringing.”
The debate ended with smiles and handshakes to commemorate a great race and respected ideas. Both campaign teams encourage students to vote through Canvas on Feb. 24 and 25.
