The race to represent part of East Lansing and MSU on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners is between an MSU student and a board veteran.

The board is the governing body of Ingham County and is responsible for legislative and administrative functions of the county.

MSU is in district 10, which also includes central and southern East Lansing and is currently represented by Democrat Mark Grebner.

Challenging Grebner is history senior Zach Hodyna, a Republican who said he's interested in representing students on the board.

Below is a brief description of each candidate and why each wants to win in the general election on Nov. 7.

The Student

Hodyna, who is involved in the MSU College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom, got involved in the race after receiving an e-mail from the Republican party.

"I've always been interested in politics and figured as long as there was nobody else that really wanted to run, I would do it," Hodyna said.

Hodyna said he's a good candidate for the job because he's a student and can represent the MSU population well.

"I really want to stand up for students," Hodyna said.

He said when most students return to campus in the fall, he wants to start actively campaigning for the job.

Although he's running as a Republican, Hodyna said he wants to reach all students in a bipartisan manner.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting all the students and seeing what issues are important to them," he said.

The Veteran

Grebner, his opponent in the race, served from 1977 to 1980 and was elected again in 1985. He was 23 and an MSU student when he was first elected.

Grebner said experience isn't necessary to be on the board, but the time he's spent dealing with the county's issues is important.

"You can't ask for experience, but it's helpful," Grebner said. "I was elected as a student, and I think I did an OK job."

Grebner said he's been deeply involved in issues over the years, such as helping students travel on and off campus easier.

He's also worked on the Ingham Health Plan, a program sponsored by the county that helps get health care for the uninsured. The program is beneficial to part-time students and students with families because it gets them some of the medical care they need, Grebner said.

His work on these programs and experience within the county make him a valuable member of the board, Grebner said.

"I'm deeply involved in dozens of issues that Zach has never heard of," he said.