Brigham Young University canceled the BYU Political Affairs Society's Provo mayoral candidate forum shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk
BYU’s Political Science Department and Political Affairs Society had planned to host Mayor Michelle Kaufusi and mayoral candidate Marsha Judkins in a forum at the Kimball Tower on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Only days before the event, BYU canceled the forum following the assassination of Kirk, a conservative political figure.
“In light of recent events and developments, the university has decided to cancel the upcoming Provo mayoral debate that BYU PAS was organizing,” said Justin Collings, BYU’s academic vice president.
On Wednesday, Sept. 10, republican figure Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a public address on Utah Valley University’s campus. The Provo mayoral forum itself would have taken place exactly two weeks after the assassination.
Despite the close proximity of the two events, BYU officials did not specify that the assassination was a related factor in their decision to cancel the forum.
“I would’ve loved to participate in that forum," Judkins said. "Here are two mayoral candidates that want to talk with students. Hopefully there would have been some back and forth, questions answered and they’d know what we’re about."
The forum was designed for students to ask questions ahead of time via QR code so the discussion would be student-led and still have an organized structure.
“It’s unfortunate that this is not going forward, but I’d like to assume that there are justifiable reasons for the university to make this decision,” said Dallin Bundy, co-president of the BYU Political Affairs Society.
The forum was organized as an effort for students to be civically active in local politics. It would have been an opportunity for students to meet their mayoral candidates face to face to discuss issues directly affecting their lives.
“We make this decision with a heavy heart, especially because so many students have worked so hard to prepare for this event,” Collings said.
Before the forum was canceled, it garnered attention by urging students to make their voices heard ahead of the election.
“One of my favorite things about being a public official is talking with groups or individuals to let them know the most effective ways to have their voices heard,” Judkins said.
The event required detailed planning ahead of time by the Political Affairs Society, giving students ample time to be engaged in the 2025 election cycle before Nov. 4.
“I am also sorry for the hard work already done … and that we will not have the opportunity to involve more students in Provo City political life,” Collings said.
The last-minute cancellation and vague reasoning added to communal discussions regarding public safety.
“Several students have made their own assumptions about the cancellation of this event, but nothing has been confirmed,” Bundy said.
This speculation has been aligned with Kirk's assassination because of its publicized, political and local nature.
“Recent events and developments can mean a lot of things," Judkins said. "I teach at UVU, and a really horrific ‘recent event’ was the murder of Charlie Kirk. Any death like that is tragic and my heart broke for all the witnesses. The UVU motto is to ‘come as you are.’ A university should not be a place where people are hurt or killed for speaking."
The assassination has garnered national discussion regarding public safety in political settings. Kirk’s address would have differed greatly from BYU's planned forum, since the forum was designed for a smaller crowd in an enclosed space: KMBL 250.
“Security, aside from what was appropriate and reasonable … wasn’t really in the conversation or a concern,” Bundy said.
There have been no official updates from BYU regarding the forum’s cancellation.
“I would love to see a makeup candidate forum," Judkins said. "If the reason is because of the Charlie Kirk murder, there are ways to alleviate that fear and make the community feel safe."
Mayor Kaufusi did not respond to requests for comment.