Candidate Profile

Gabriel Bradley

(He/Him)

Hello everyone! My name is Gabriel Bradley, and I am a freshman here at UIUC. I am running for your future Senate position in the upcoming election. Before I discuss my platform and vision, I want to give you insight into who I am. First, my birth name is Joshua; Gabriel is my middle name. I wish I could tell you why I go by Gabriel, but honestly, I don't know. I grew up in a small town about 3 hours south of Champaign in Southern Illinois. To give some perspective, I live closer to Mississippi than Chicago. Most people I talk to in Champaign have no idea where I am from, which is okay. I enjoy talking to others and comparing how different our lives have been even though we live in the same state. If nothing else, it has broadened my perspective and made me appreciate the little things in life. I am running for office not because I have an agenda but to learn more from my peers and understand their ways of thinking. This university is filled with brilliant minds, brilliant ideas, and brilliant questions. I would be making a mistake by not listening to those same minds. That said, to represent my classmates, they must know what I stand for. I am a person who believes respect and honesty are two of the most essential principles in our world. Without respect, you cannot guarantee honesty; without honesty, one has no reason to give respect. While these may be moral principles, politics cannot survive without them. Beyond politics, the basis of our world depends on these two pillars. Trusting and loving your neighbor are crucial for a better world. I don't want to tell you why I am more qualified than the other candidates because, in reality, I may very well not be. But, I assure you that any person who wants to see something done in the Student Council will have an output through me. Thank you very much for your time, and I hope to meet you all soon! Gabriel Bradley