UH SGA presidential candidates attend the 2026 SGA Debate on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Presidential and vice presidential candidates faced off at Tuesday’s Student Government Association debate, where they detailed their campaign platforms and responded to questions about transparency, campus safety and student finances.
Vice presidential debate
The debate featured management information systems PhD student Raj Kabir, economics junior Lundan Sherrod, public policy and political science junior Ian Kariuki and environmental design sophomore Sukaina Rizvi.
The debate began with vice presidential candidates answering why students should vote for them and their running mates.
Kabir emphasised his experience working with university systems, his background in leadership and his policy and negotiation skills. Kabir focused on gathering data from students to identify issues they are experiencing.
Kabir also pointed out the needs of international students, claiming that adapting to a new campus and culture can be difficult.
Sherrod stressed the need for clearer communication between SGA and the student body, arguing that many students feel disconnected from decisions that directly impact them. They proposed more consistent updates about campus incidents and clearer messaging regarding university policies.
Kariuki highlighted their experience as a student safety security committee member and said their priority would be to ensure student voices are meaningfully represented in administrative discussions.
Rizvi also spoke on the need for student voices to be heard. She strives to involve herself directly with the students through public forums or anonymous platforms.
Candidates agreed that SGA must improve outreach efforts and create stronger feedback systems so students’ voices are heard and students can better understand how University decisions are made.
UH SGA vice presidential candidates attend the 2026 SGA Debate on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Presidential debate
When presidential candidates took the floor, the discussion turned to broader challenges, including tuition costs, student fees and campus safety.
The debate featured political science freshman Kyra Williams, public policy junior Joshua Sambrano, architecture and psychology senior Tav Cockrell and information systems PhD student Biswajit Sarkar. Each candidate presented their stance and responded to questions about student safety, tuition costs and trust in SGA.
Kyra Williams
Williams focused on student voice and communication with administration.
“One of the priorities that we have seen from many people on campus is the lack of student voice in the administration,” Williams said. “We want to bridge the gap from SGA to the students.”
Williams proposed monthly Zoom or in-person meetings to make SGA more accessible. She said transparency is especially important regarding campus services students already pay for.
“If tuition and all of our money are going to that, then we should be able to know exactly what we’re paying for and be able to use it,” Williams said.
When asked about student safety, Williams advocated for more emergency call boxes, particularly in areas between Cougar Village and Cougar Woods.
“There should be emergency boxes at every corner,” she said.
Joshua Sambrano
Sambrano emphasized transparency and public safety as his top priorities.
“I think the biggest priority is going to be a mix between transparency and public safety,” Sambrano said. “Students who are paying thousands of dollars are afforded the right to know the progress of safety initiatives as it’s happening.”
Sambrano criticised the lack of updates following campus safety alerts and pointed out the lack of a policy for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s presence on campus.
“These are things that are non-negotiable,” Sambrano said. “These are things that we need to fight for, fight tooth and nail to make sure that we get accomplished.”
Sambrano said the university needs clearer communication and policy-based solutions regarding ICE. While the University is not legally allowed to call itself a “sanctuary campus,” Sambrano said there are other legal ways the University can protect its immigrant population.
“With this new administration that we will be ushering in, I have a lot of faith that we can put a dent in that by changing the opinion of what we actually can do legally,” said Sambrano. “We can go ahead and secure our rights on campus. We can go ahead and secure all of the pros of a sanctuary campus without being red-flagged by the state of Texas.”
Williams raised a rebuttal of Sambrano’s statement by claiming other student groups have tried to make the University a sanctuary campus but failed. Williams also stated SGA is restricted from making these kinds of decisions, as is the University.
Tav Cockrell
Cockrell centred his speech on financial transparency and proposing a “Where’s My Tuition Going?” campaign.
“We all care about where our money goes,” Cockrell said. “We want you to know what you’re paying, where it’s going to and we want you to have an active voice in that process.”
Cockrell said tuition breakdowns should include optional fees and college-specific charges, due to different colleges paying different lab and program fees. He described current committee processes as “extremely bureaucratic” and said students deserve clearer explanations.
During closing remarks, Cockrell defended his record in a previous SGA administration, stating he “fought tooth and nail” to ensure structural reform. He also addressed claims about his involvement in constitutional changes, saying the failed constitution was “a result of the direct student representation voted into office.”
“I stand by my ethics,” Cockrell said. “Wrong is wrong, right is right.”
Biswajit Sarkar
Sarkar prioritized dining affordability and campus safety.
He said many students have complained about limited food options and costly meal plans.
“I have spoken with students in the dining hall,” Sarkar said. “They are very upset by eating the same kind of food, and I feel like the food plans are very costly.”
Sarkar proposed negotiating for more affordable dining plans, possible free meal options and additional microwaves and food resources in the library during late study hours.
When asked about safety on campus, he suggested increasing cameras, alarm systems and monitoring in areas between residence halls and dining facilities.
“We should increase the security stuff, the cameras or the buzzers so we can track or monitor the student movement at nighttime,” he said.
Rebuilding trust
When asked how they would restore trust in SGA, candidates repeatedly stated transparency and communication.
“Trust has to be earned,” Williams said. “The only way for us to gain your trust is for us to show you that we can be trusted.”
Sambrano argued that SGA must apply more pressure on administration and set “a new standard” for student governance.
Cockrell said rebuilding trust requires acknowledging past mistakes and engaging directly with students.
Sarkar emphasised “action rather than words,” saying he believes in “tangible outcomes.”
Students will be able to vote for their new representatives on March 3-5. Voting will be available online on Get Involved.
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