Introducing the Candidates: Reed-Simonson

This is the final part in our three part series, “Introducing the Candidates.” We’ll tell you who’s running for NISG President and Vice President this spring and give you a little bit of information about them. The third ticket we’re looking at is Dakotah Reed and Zack Simonson.

Quick Bio

Presidential Candidate

• Name: Dakotah Reed
• Major: Management
• Standing: Junior
• Experience: NISG Chief of Staff

Vice Presidential Candidate

• Name: Zach Simonson
• Major: Political Communication
• Standing: Junior
• Experience: Model UN, UNI Forensics, NISG Supreme Court Justice

The Ticket

• Webpage: To be added
• Facebook group: To be added
• Pros: Reed-Simonson enter the race as the dark horse. While relatively unknown, they appear to have strong organizational skills and a source knowledgeable of the campaign reports they are dedicated to this effort.
• Cons: No one has a clue who they are. In addition, their majors and extra-curriculars allow them to potentially steal some votes from Greenway-Beaves, but that's not where their votes need to come from.

Dakotah Reed is new to the scene at UNI. He transferred this fall from the University of Iowa and became the new Chief of Staff for the Executive Branch in early October. Google searches show him as politically active and an entrepreneur, but not much else. He enters the race as the first Republican, giving him a potential constituency -- but his lack of NISG experience will hurt him. He has the fewest Facebook friends of any candidate, other than his running mate, at 505.

Zach Simonson's resume mirrors Greenway. He was a politically active high schooler who was hired as a Page with the Iowa Senate his senior year. He came to UNI and joined Model UN and the forensics team. His only NISG experience is serving as Clerk of the Court and Associate Justice for the Judicial Branch. At 332 Facebook friends, he comes in at the lowest in this race.

One has to wonder what Reed-Simonson have planned for this race. They reek of professionalism which could set them up to steal votes from Walrath-Goldsmith -- if anyone knew them. They have no constituencies with which to speak and little experience in NISG. That said, I've been impressed with what I've seen so far. They are organized and, who knows, crazier things than a Reed-Simonson win have happened in NISG history.