By Rachel Aretakis

Stephen Bilas and Mary Katherine Kington were announced as Student Government president and vice president Thursday on the Student Center patio.

Bilas is a management and finance junior, and Kington is a finance junior.

“I’m excited to see the potential of the group we have and of SGA,” Bilas said. “I’m impressed on so many levels.”

The unofficial results reported that a total 4,732 students voted, which is 17 percent of campus.

Bilas and Kington won with 2,388 votes, compared with Drake Staples and Mary Ellen Wimberly’s 1,716 votes. There were 88 write-in votes.

When the results were announced, supporters erupted in cheers and embraced one another. But just on the other side of the patio, groups of students went silent as their campaign was defeated.

“We’re very excited for the entire team,” Kington said. “We have successes on the entire ticket, top to bottom.”

Both Kington and Bilas said they were proud of their team, and that it truly was a team effort.

Bilas said all the candidates on their ticket worked hard, passing out handbills and putting up posters. He said people were eager to help.

It has been a long process since June when they started preparing for the election, Kington said.

Since then, they have been working hard to make sure campus is represented, Bilas said.

Both Bilas and Kington said that Drake Staples and Mary Ellen Wimberly did a good job, and there was “healthy competition,” Kington said.

“We were definitely happy with the turnout on campus,” Wimberly said about the results. She hopes Bilas and Kington take their ideas into consideration.

“We want to keep fighting for UK students,” Staples said.

Current Student Government President Micah Fielden said he looks forward to working with Bilas and Kington and transitioning them in to their positions. His tenure

as president ends on the last day of classes.

Both Bilas and Kington said they are excited to get started and working on the ideas they have.

Senators At-Large

Emily Willett

L.T. Thompson

Joe Papp

Jake Ingram

Roshan Palli

Claci Ayers

Cabot Haggin

McKenzie Bond

Audrey Lavin

Will Blackford

Grant Peach

Megan Biven

Clay Lykins

Devon Wilson

Scotty Stutts

College Senators

Agriculture – Staci McGill

Arts & Sciences – Maddie Wright & Luke Glaser

Business & Economics – Jordan Plamp

Communication & Information Studies – Rachel McMahan

Dentistry – Aaron D. F. Stanley

Design – Kendall Latham

Education – Eli Edwards

Engineering – William Walker

Fine Arts – Evan J. Pulliam

Graduate School – Aileen Chua, Brian McDowell, Zachary Harr, Bethney Wilson

Health Sciences – Maggie Grisanti

Law – Shannon E. Leahy & Ryan Galloway

Medicine – Matt Sexton

Nursing – Jordyn Bland

Pharmacy – Brittany Smith

Social Work – Emily Underwood