Sole candidate Isaac James failed to be elected as Michaelmas President of the Cambridge Union, after re-open nominations (RON) received 88 votes, to his 51.

This means that a by-election will be held for the role, with nominations closing on 28 April. Hustings for the position will be held on 30 April, with voting taking place from then until 2 May – the results will be announced that evening.

Varsity understands that the RON result is unprecedented for the society, with no Union presidential elections in recent history having returned it.

The result follows concerns raised at Union election hustings last Thursday (12/03) over the fact that only a single candidate was running for president. A campaign to re-open nominations was launched by a number of unnamed Union members, though the associated Instagram account now appears to have been deleted.

James told Varsity: “At the end of an unforgettable week, the membership has spoken and I respect their decision. Dealing with rejection is difficult for us all, but I think it’s a risk worth taking for things you care about and that excite you.

“I’m proud to have given it an honest go and put myself and my ideas for positive change forward. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the 50+ members who endorsed, sent words of encouragement or cast their vote for me at the polls. And hearty congratulations are also in order for Anusha, Ben and Zainab – I’m excited to see what you and the Michaelmas team have in store for us and I look forward to supporting you all from the benches!”

Pollyanna Greene-Wright, who had been the Union’s Debates Officer until she resigned on 5 March, had intended to stand for president. However, she was barred from standing after an internal investigation concluded that she had broken election rules. Greene-Wright strongly denied the findings of the report, alleging that the Union’s complaints procedure had been “weaponised” against her.

The only contested race in the elections for Michaelmas 2026 was for Speakers Officer. Benjamin Pearce, a first-year historian at Emmanuel, beat Ethan Lee, a first-year HSPS student at Hughes Hall, by 83 votes to 54.

The sole candidates for Debates Officer and Social Events Officer were both elected, receiving significantly more votes than RON. Anusha Salhan, a first-year historian at Newnham, and the Union’s current head of guest liaison, was elected Debates Officer. Zainab Khan, a second-year historian at Homerton, was elected Social Events Officer.