Moosa Harraj
Moosa Harraj has been elected as the President of the Oxford Union for Michaelmas 2025, securing a decisive victory with 833 first-preference votes. He defeated his main opponent, Chris Collins, who received 663 votes. The election results reflect a strong endorsement of Harraj’s leadership, as his slate, #Bridge, dominated the polls by winning all four key officer positions.
Currently serving as the Union’s Librarian, Harraj is an MPhil student in Economics at Balliol College. His campaign emphasized his experience as an elected officer and his understanding of the Union’s financial, organizational, and reputational challenges.
His victory comes amid a highly competitive election that saw record voter turnout, with 1,730 ballots cast—significantly higher than previous elections, including 1,187 votes in Trinity 2024 and 1,268 in Michaelmas 2024.
The #Bridge slate’s success extended beyond the presidency, securing wins in all officer elections. Katherine Yang was elected Librarian with 826 votes, defeating Nathanael Kennedy-Leroi, who received 572 votes. Raza Nazar won the Treasurer position with 878 votes, outperforming Oliver “JL” Jones-Lyons, who garnered 533 votes.
Jennifer Yang claimed the Secretary role with 855 votes, surpassing Prajwal Pandey, who secured 548 votes. Additionally, the newly elected Standing Committee members include Brayden Lee, Matthew Chiu, Samy Medjoub, Akshay Pendyala, Chloe Pomfret, and Víctor Marroquín-Merino. Results for the Secretary’s Committee will be announced on March 9.
Chris Collins, a Classics finalist at Corpus Christi College, ran under the #Rebuild slate. His campaign was centered on moving past what he called “petty student politics” and focusing on delivering high-quality events and meaningful debates.
Despite his loss, Collins remained gracious in defeat, calling for unity within the Union. In a statement to The Oxford Student, he expressed gratitude to his supporters, saying: “I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who supported us in what has been the largest election of recent times. I love the Union, and I hope that we will be able to move beyond the struggles of the past few months. I wish Moosa all the best for the future.”
The election was conducted under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, which allows members to rank candidates by preference. A total of 42 candidates aligned with the #Bridge slate, while 33 represented #Rebuild. The high voter turnout reflects growing engagement in Union politics, with members eager to influence the direction of one of Oxford’s most prestigious institutions.
With the #Bridge slate now in full control of the Oxford Union, all eyes are on Harraj as he prepares to take on the leadership role. His presidency will be closely watched as he navigates the challenges of maintaining the Union’s reputation and addressing internal governance issues.
His tenure will begin at a crucial time, and expectations are high for his administration to deliver on its promises and strengthen the Union’s standing within the university.
