After an eight-and-a-half hour ASWSU Senate meeting, two executive cabinet officer nominees were denied during the Senate confirmation hearings.

Mitchell Weholt, current ASWSU director of communication, was the first to be denied.

Executive cabinet members need a 2/3 majority vote to be confirmed and nine of the members of the 47th Senate voted for Weholt, who was nominated for director of communication again, while eight voted against him. Weholt is also the IFC director of public relations.

Jared Flahrer, who was nominated for director of diversity and inclusion, was also denied, with nine voting in favor, seven voting against and one abstention. Flahrer was the last to be voted on.  

Frost said the denial of Flahrer to this position was “unacceptable” and “unprofessional.”

The nomination for chief of staff will be confirmed later on, as the application wasn’t open for the mandatory two-week period prior to the confirmation hearings.

Seven others were confirmed unanimously, including Carmen Jaramillo as deputy chief of staff, Jamie Lepper as director of finance, Zana Crites as deputy director of communication, Colleen McMahon as director of university affairs, Matthew Morrow as director of legislative affairs, Parker Blekkenk as deputy director of legislative affairs and Joe Kurle as director of community affairs.

Tyler O’Brien was confirmed as director of wellness and safety with 16 in favor and one abstention. 

Reporting by Sarah Olsen and Tyler Watson

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated.