Michael Kilbride and Taylor Lochrane are the winners of the 2010 University of Central Florida Student Government Association presidential election.

Marlee Popluder, the chief elections commissioner, announced the winners on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. outside of the Student Union. Kilbride and Lochrane won a close election with just over 51 percent of the vote.

A total of 9,649 people voted in this year’s election, according to Popluder.

After the winners were announced, Kilbride was ecstatic; his face was red and he could barely speak.

“It feels phenomenal,” Kilbride said. “Goodness always prevails. My hard work has paid off.”

Kilbride, a senior in the finance program, and Lochrane, a graduate student pursuing his doctorate in civil engineering, will serve as president and vice president, respectively.

“I see the passion with Kilbride and Lochrane because of their involvement within the university,” Andrick Lewis, the current SGA vice president, said Tuesday.

As the chief of operations on SGA, Kilbride helped implement the new SGA Express Print Lab and the environmentally friendly lighting in the Student Union. He has said he intends to begin a carpool plan for UCF students, which he hopes will help with the congestion of vehicles on campus.

Kilbride and Lochrane’s other platform goals include strengthening green initiatives across campus, advocating for the creation of graduate housing, expanding services to Rosen and regional campuses, increasing the number of study spaces across campus, developing a post-graduation program and dedicated study days before finals.

Source: OrlandoSentinel.com, by Alyssa Metsky, UCF journalism student, UCF students elect Kilbride and Lochrane as new SGA president and vice president. Special to the Orlando Sentinel, February 24, 2010