BREAKING: Ella Mowbray Chriske acclaimed as KSU president in by-election

Ella Mowbray Chriske has been elected president of the King’s Student Union after running unopposed.

Mowbray Chriske, a third-year journalism and contemporary studies student, was elected in the union’s Oct. 19 by-elections, which also filled two empty vice-president and council representative positions. 

She will replace Olivia Chaput, who has served as interim president since Sept. 20 after the union’s president, Gale VanAmburg, resigned due to health issues.

Related: Olivia Chaput chosen as KSU interim president

Clara Easley, a third-year student, was elected student life vice president after running unopposed. Anna Carsley-Jones, a fifth-year contemporary studies student, will serve as communications vice president after beating Brenna O’Regan by 78 votes. 

Lucy d’Anjou, a Foundation Year Program student, beat Kay Nelson by 94 votes for the open advocacy representative position. 

Georgia Rose Becklumb, a third-year history student, was elected member-at-large representative with no opposition. 

Chaput will return to her role as financial vice president, which she held before becoming the interim president. Due to VanAmburg’s resignation, the KSU’s executive team was reduced to two people.

Related: KSU president resigns

The KSU holds by-elections every fall to fill empty positions. Those elected will serve the rest of this year’s term, until March 2027.

Online voting opened Oct. 12 and lasted until Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. 

236 people — about 20 per cent of King’s students — voted in the presidential election, the highest turnout among the roles. 217 voted for Mowbray Chriske, and 19 voted to re-open nominations.

Last year, Mowbray Chriske served as student life vice-president and sat on the King’s Financial Stabilization Committee, but did not run in the 2026 general election. In her campaign statement, she described King’s as being in “a stage of expansion” and said she wants “to make sure that students remain the focus of these conversations.” 

Easley wrote in her campaign statement that she hopes to revitalize the Day Students Society for students living off-campus and launch information campaigns on how the university spends student tuition revenue and students’ rights as union members. 

Carsley-Jones has previously served as chief returning officer in her second year as well as student life vice president and external vice president at different times in her third year. In her campaign statement, she writes that she hopes to find engaging communication methods so students feel involved with the union.