The governor and mayor of Philadelphia aren’t the only political leaders endorsing a candidate for the upcoming presidential primary.

Last week, student government leaders at several Philadelphia universities, including Penn, Temple and Villanova Universities and Haverford College, jointly authored a letter endorsing Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for president.

The letter ­­- which highlights Obama’s ability to motivate and his financial-aid plan for higher education - states that the students are presenting their personal views, not speaking on behalf of their student bodies or governments.

And while the endorsement has drawn criticism from some students and Undergraduate Assembly members who think the leaders are using their campus influences to advocate personal positions, the endorsers stand by their decision.

“This is coming down to a really close election, and in talking to other student body presidents and the Obama campaign, we thought we would demonstrate support from student leaders,” said College senior and UA chairman Jason Karsh.