Student Senate Picks Grant Pautsch as Vice Speaker
Iowa State Student Government voted 19-5 with one abstention to fill the post vacated by Ryker Markus.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Legislative Policy
Iowa State Student Government selected Off-Campus Senator Grant Pautsch as Vice Speaker of the Senate, receiving 19 votes to College of Design Senator Sofia de Lima Barbosa's five, with one Senator abstaining. The vote filled the seat left open when Ryker Markus resigned.
Why it matters
The Vice Speaker presides over Senate proceedings in the student government body at Iowa State University in Ames. The vacancy followed Markus's resignation, and the vote determines who holds the post during the remainder of the term.
The vote was 19 for Pautsch, five for Lima Barbosa, and one abstention. The Senate's roll-call totals were recorded at the Wednesday meeting, but the extraction does not detail any further procedural votes.
The players
Grant Pautsch
Pautsch is an Off-Campus Senator at Iowa State University who was selected as Vice Speaker of the Senate.
Iowa State University
Iowa State University is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, whose Student Government conducts the vote.
The details
Pautsch and Lima Barbosa each gave statements and answered Senators' questions before leaving the room while the Senate deliberated. Senators then voted in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union during Wednesday's 6 p.m. StuGov meeting.
Timeline
Wednesday at 6 p.m.: StuGov meeting in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union, where the vote took place.
Legislative Policy
The selection follows the Iowa State Student Government's established Senate procedure for filling officer vacancies, with nominees presenting statements before a vote. Such internal officer elections shape how the student body's legislative calendar and funding bills move through the Senate.
Students at Iowa State University have a Senate leader now guiding votes on student funding requests such as the $300 Vietnamese Student Association talent show bill. The new Vice Speaker presides over meetings where those allocations are debated.
The takeaway
Students following Iowa State Student Government can track future funding decisions in the Senate's regular Wednesday meetings. Attending or reviewing meeting minutes offers a direct view of how student dollars are allocated.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Legislative Policy reporting on how student governments in Ames organize their senates.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Iowa State Daily.
