USG senator resigns, takes leave of absence from USC
Dakota Driemeyer, president of USC College Republicans, said he is leaving the University to work on an Illinois political campaign.
By BEATRICE CALALANG
Undergraduate Student Government senator Dakota Driemeyer resigned Monday to work on an undisclosed political campaign in Illinois. Driemeyer was president of the USC College Republicans and aimed to “[stand] up for conservative values” in USG, according to an Instagram post announcing his senate appointment.
In his resignation letter, Driemeyer wrote that he would be taking a leave of absence from USC to support the conservative movement “directly on the ground in Illinois, where the challenges we face are immediate and real.”
Driemeyer wrote that he will “remain steadfastly committed to the values I have stood for here, and I will carry them into the work ahead.”
Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.
Speaker of the senate Jeremiah Boisrond said Driemeyer did not previously indicate his plans to step down. Driemeyer told Annenberg Media that other senators have “treated [him] like an individual who is less than human.”
Boisrond said he was surprised when he read the article.
“It was news to me to find out that he felt that the senate class viewed him this way,” Boisrond said about Driemeyer’s response. “He has not once brought it up.”
Boisrond said that he had “one on ones” with Driemeyer to ensure that he was comfortable at USG.
“We had really productive conversations about [Driemeyer’s] goals that he’s wanting to do for students,” Boisrond said.
Driemeyer did not respond to the Daily Trojan’s request for comment.
In a post after being elected, Driemeyer wrote that he looked “forward to standing up for conservative values, Israel, and transparency in the USG Senate.” During his senatorial run, Driemeyer also focused on tuition transparency and expanding dining dollar acceptance, as mentioned in his campaign platform. Driemeyer was sworn in as senator April 29.
Driemeyer’s resignation leaves a vacant position in the senate; USG will hold a special election to fill the vacancy, though it has not yet announced a date.
“We are looking forward to filling the seat,” Boisrond said. “While we have a vacancy right now, it’ll be filled for sure in September.”
