NIU students have two new representatives on the DeKalb County Board.

Mary Sindelar and Thomas Elkins edged out incumbents Eric Carter and Margaret Phillips for the District 7 positions in Tuesday’s election.

Sindelar topped the candidates with 33 percent of a total 3,112 votes. Elkins slid in with 28 percent voter support followed by Phillips with 23 percent and Carter at 16 percent.

Sindelar, a junior at NIU majoring in political science with an emphasis in public administration, said she owes her appointment to the students who did a “wonderful job” at getting to the polls.

“This gives me and Tom (Elkins) a push to bring more of the student voices out,” she said. “We have to work to get more students involved and not take a back seat.”

Sindelar said she also plans to bring students closer to the community. “I will work to reunite the students and the DeKalb community so we can solve the problems together, not separated.”

Sindelar has been an NIU Student Association elections commissioner, the NIU Young Democrats treasurer and active with the DeKalb County Democrats for about three years.

Elkins, an NIU graduate student majoring in philosophy, said his eyes are on the future—especially the financial fate of the DeKalb County nursing home. This fate is primarily determined by the finance committee of the county board, which Elkins plans to be a part of.

“We need to look at funding for the future to keep the nursing home open and available to all who need it,” he said.

Elkins also praised voters and promised to fulfill their needs. “I’d like to thank the voters, and I pledge to do my best for both the NIU students and the DeKalb townspeople who elected me as well as look out for the concerns of the entire county.”

Elkins ran for a county board position and lost in 1990. He headed some local campaigns, including Jamie Pennington’s successful aldermanic pursuit in 1989, and was chairman of the NIU Young Democrats in 1990.

Both Phillips and Carter were unavailable for comment.