Fattman takes Worcester 18th
Ryan Fattman had the biggest smile in the room at Day's End Tavern in Oxford last night as he received the election results. The Republican incumbent state representative won easily, defeating his Democratic challenger Donald Bourque in each of the four towns in the newly drawn Worcester 18th District.
“I'm feeling very good,” he said. “I'm looking forward to serving two more years.” He attributed his win to all the doors he knocked on. In Webster he won all five precincts, a feat that no Republican has achieved in many years. “It's humbling,” he said.
Fattman called his opponent “formidable,” citing Don Bourque's position as chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Webster.
“We feel we were very positive. The country needs to come together, we need to look past parties,” he said.
Bourque was resigned to his defeat. “I'm good,” he said. “The truth is the people have spoken and they have chosen my opponent.
“I ask the people of the district to hold him accountable, to give us what we need.”
Bourque continued, “I still have a job, I'm hiring people every day, I'm still keeping the economy going. We ran a dignified campaign. But we didn't have the money of the big machine.”
Breakdown of votes in each of the towns:
Oxford precincts 1 and 4: Fattman 2,331; Bourque 804
Sutton: Fattman 3,933; Bourque 1,254
Douglas: Fattman 3,151; Bourque 1,171 (unofficial)
Webster: Fattman 3,976; Bourque 2,500
Total: Fattman 13,391; Bourque 5,729
Webster has 11,636 registered voters, of which 6,755 voted, a 58% turnout. In other contested races, President Barack Obama won the town with 3,476 votes versus Mitt Romney's 3,111. Senator Scott Brown won the vote in Webster with 3,804 versus 2,925 for challenger Elizabeth Warren.
In Oxford precincts 1 and 4, Mitt Romney took the win with 3,261 votes versus 3,125 for President Obama. In the Senate contest, Brown received 3,926 votes versus 2,566 for Warren.