In an extremely close race, Sammy Pisano was elected Student Body President Tuesday after a runoff election.

Pisano ousted opponent Ronda Jackson with just 50.6 percent of the vote. 1,163 votes were cast from 8:00 a.m. Monday to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, 589 of which went to Pisano.

“It’s unreal,” Pisano said of the victory. “I’m looking forward to increasing the visibility of the SGA and getting back to the grassroots.”

Pisano is the current Student Body Vice President and said the position has prepared him well to take over as president.

“My vice president role helped me learn how the SGA works internally,” said Pisano. “I have worked closely with the current president Matt Victory. He has been like an older brother to me.”

Joining Pisano next year as vice president will be Brooke Britt. She also won by a narrow margin, capturing 52.86 percent of the vote.

“I feel extremely honored,” said Britt. “All of the candidates were very capable.”

The 1,163 runoff votes cast were just 250 less than the main election, which the SGA noted was an excellent turnout for just two days of voting. Before the runoff, Jackson was actually leading the race with 38.85 percent of the vote compared to Pisano’s 36.85 percent.

Pisano, who was in Arkansas for an Honors project when the runoff was announced, said he wasn’t surprised by the runoff.

“I was disappointed that there was a runoff but I expected it to happen,” he said. “It is bound to happen when you have three qualified candidates.”

Pisano said his main objectives will be to make the SGA a more visible force on campus and to work closely with administration and the incoming chancellor.