Gabi Fullam has been elected as the next President of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) on the first count, securing 51.9% of the vote.
Fullam’s opponent Rebecca Kelly received 41.0% of first preference votes, while 8.2% voted to reopen nominations. There were 21 void ballots cast in the Presidential race.
Fullam, the current Ethnic Minorities Officer for TCDSU, ran a strong campaign which centred on how she will build a union “to support the most vulnerable”. She pledged to create structural change within the union through increasing communications with stakeholders such as Dublin City Council and Transport for Ireland, reforming the Tutor system and holding College to its commitment to divest from fossil fuels.
The final year philosophy and sociology student’s campaign also focused heavily on combating racial injustice on campus. Fullam plans to implement racism bystander training, establish a black students and students of colour advisory group and rename the Berkeley library. Her aims also include making the union a more inclusive space for people of colour.
Accessibility, tackling gender-based violence, and financial justice were also key points of Fullam’s manifesto.
Fullam’s broad range of institutional and activism based experience to date as outlined throughout her campaign, demonstrate her “integrity, passion and drive” for change and suggest that the role of next year’s TCDSU president is in capable hands.
She will take over the role from incumbent Leah Keogh.
Polling conducted by Trinity News last week predicted a likely win for Fullam, which the final count reflects. In this poll of 574 students, 51.1% gave Fullam their first preference, compared to 42.9% of first preferences for Kelly
Fullam, alongside the other elected sabbatical officers, are due to take office in the summer.
Additional reporting by Ellen Kenny.
