DeKALB | Mirroring the national shift of power, the Democrats took control of the DeKalb County Board Tuesday.

The county board has been split 12-12 since 2004. This balance of Republicans and Democrats made the indication who held the power blurry.

For the past two years, there has been no clear dominating party since the Democrats caught up to the Republicans in 2004. Now holding 13 seats on the county board, the Democrats have become the majority.

This change in the county board could be because of the aggressive campaigning the party has done, said county board member Julia Fauci.

“I knocked on 24,000 homes and passed out about 80,000 flyers,” she said.

On election night, current board members made their election predictions.

“I think the Democrats will win because this seems to be a Democratic year,” said Republican Dennis Sands, the vice-chairman of the county board.

Sands said if the Democrats won, there wouldn’t be a dramatic change in the board.

“Not much will change, except for who the [county board] chairman will be,” he said.

Democratic county board member Jerry Augsburger said the new Democratic majority would most likely opt to keep a Democratic chairman. “The county board members elect the chairman among themselves,” he said. “With 13 Democrats and 11 Republicans, it is likely there will be a Democratic chairman.”

Sands’ election predictions were not shared by everyone on the board, however.

“I hope the Republicans win,” said Patricia LaVigne, a Republican county board member. “We would do a much better job serving the community.”

While the majority of board members felt there would be a shift in power, others thought the status quo would continue.

Republican county board member Larry A. Anderson said that regardless of which party is in control, the goal of the county board remains the same.

“Our main concern is to take care of the people in the community and we try to leave the politics out,” Anderson said.

Ryan Strong is a DeKalb Government reporter for the Northern Star.