Two days after the election, the MSU Board of Trustees race is finally over.

With 100 percent of the state's precincts reporting, Republican Melanie Foster edged out Democrat Phil Thompson by more than 17,000 votes.

Democrat Joel Ferguson, a 15-year veteran of the board, was declared winner of his seat on Wednesday, as he held about a 125,000-vote lead over second-place Foster.

Nine candidates from six parties were vying for two open seats on the eight-member board. Board members serve eight-year terms.

Foster will take Republican incumbent Randall Pittman's seat, which will make the male-to-female board ratio 4-4. The board is still composed of five Republicans and three Democrats.