Just in time for the number crunching of budget season, voters in Attleboro sent retired high school math teacher Jim Hawkins to serve out the rest of this session in the House of Representatives.
The Democrat Hawkins bested Republican Julie Hall in the special election to succeed Paul Heroux, now the mayor of Attleboro, as the representative from the 2nd Bristol District. The Attleboro Sun Chronicle reported Hawkins took 3,927 votes to Hall’s 3,633.
The state Democratic Party celebrated the first-time candidate’s victory over Hall, an Attleboro city councilor and Air Force veteran who had the backing of Gov. Charlie Baker.
“Jim will always be an independent voice for Attleboro and ran on the key issues facing working families in the community, including increasing funding for our public schools, passing Paid Family and Medical Leave, and investing in treatment and education programs to combat the opioid epidemic,” Democratic Party Chairman Gus Bickford said in a statement.
The seat seemed winnable for Republicans, who have a number of legislative incumbents representing nearby districts.
Heroux, a Democrat, held the seat for five years, and after winning his race for mayor against the Republican incumbent in November said he’d be surprised if there was a Democrat in the city who could beat Hall.
Hawkins will enter the House with less than 4 months of formal business remaining.