 "Photo: Joslyn Brown")
The tension at the Last Chance Next Door bar mounted with every delay of the announcement of the winner of the K-State student body presidential general election.
At about 6:30 p.m., 30 minutes after the polls closed, that tension turned to exuberance as 91.9 KSDB radio announced Dalton Henry and Wayne Stoskopf as the winners of election.
The pair came in second in the primary election to Andrew Huschka and Laura Rachelle White. However, behind the support of the third place finishers in the primary, Robert Swift and Amy Schultz, and most of their supporters, Henry and Stoskopf were able to pull out the victory. The pair ended up winning by more than 400 votes after losing to Huschka and White by 322 votes in the Feb. 25 primary.
"A lot of those [supporters] were people that we've worked with in student government and are our friends," said Stoskopf, junior in agribusiness. "So they naturally had a tough decision between us and Swift and Schultz, and now we are the one's left, so they are full on supporting us."
Swift and Schultz, as well as student body president Lydia Peele attended the watch party at Next Door. The crowd of supporters gradually increased until the announcement, growing louder and filling almost all the Next Door bar.
"It was first of all a fun experience," said Henry, senior in agricultural economics. "I think we both enjoyed being out their talking with groups and meeting new people. It was great to see all the supporters come out and all the people we work with on a day-to-day basis," said Henry, senior in agricultural economics.
Henry said the pair and its supporters campaigned more aggressively during the week leading up to the general election to make sure enough students voted in the election.
Before the announcement, Henry and Stoskopf were visibly anxious, pacing and fidgeting around the bar.
"We just go back and forth between exciting and nervous just because their really is no poll telling us how we're doing and how the students will vote," Stoskopf said.
Even before the results were announced supporters at the bar started chants of Henry/Stoskopf. The pair said they expected one of the largest voter turnouts in recent memory but they also said they received more support after the primary election and expected a victory.
Henry and Stoskopf said they are ready for a break from the aggressive campaign, but they are also ready to take office in a few weeks and get to work, which includes naming cabinet members and making sure Student Senate committee's are in order.
"We've had several months of planning and talking about our platforms, working with our supporters, working with the folks at the university and the folks at the city," Henry said. "I'm really looking forward to putting those plans in place - to get the ball rolling."
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