Harvard Overseer Election Bid by Zuckerberg, Ackman-Backed Candidates Falls Short

Despite high-profile endorsements, none of the outsider candidates managed to meet the signature threshold for ballot eligibility.

None of the seven outsider candidates for Harvard’s Board of Overseers, endorsed by billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Ackman, collected the required 3,238 signatures for ballot eligibility.
The candidates campaigned on issues such as free speech, antisemitism, and academic rigor but faced challenges with the alumni portal log-in system.
Samuel W. Lessin, endorsed by Zuckerberg, came closest with 2,901 petitions, while others, including a slate backed by Ackman, also fell short.
Harvard Alumni Association-nominated candidates will be the only ones on the ballot for the upcoming election, with eight candidates vying for five open seats.
The candidates have expressed intentions to run again next year, citing lessons learned and plans to focus on voter registration ahead of the nomination and election.