Incumbent state Sen. Chris Johnson, D-Somerville, held on to his Senate District 13 seat, defeating repeat challenger Les Fossel.

Unofficial results with all towns reporting show Johnson with 9,467 votes and the Republican Fossel, a restoration contractor and former legislator from Alna, with 9,128 votes.

Johnson, 57, who first took the seat in a special election in 2012, said Senate Democrats will need to work with the Republicans, who will now control the chamber for the next two years after taking the majority from Democrats.

“The first thing we have to do is conference with Republicans and see how things are going to work here,” he said.

As far as policy issues, he said the Legislature will be dealing with “things that are foremost in people’s minds,” citing a need for greater job opportunities and better paying jobs and offering quality education, particularly early childhood education, to get people off to a good start.

The numbers show that Johnson topped Fossel, a two-term member of the House, 217-191 in Fossel’s hometown of Alna. Fossel garnered 117 votes in Somerville, where Johnson received 130 votes.

The district includes 20 municipalities, and Johnson was the top vote-getter in 12: Alna, Boothbay Harbor, Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Edgecomb, Monhegan Plantation, Newcastle, Somerville, South Bristol, Washington and Whitefield.

Fossel took Boothbay, Jefferson, Nobleboro, Southport, Waldoboro, Westport, Windsor and Wiscasset.

A cellphone message left for Fossel was not returned by late Wednesday afternoon.

In the other notable state Senate races in the central Maine area, incumbent Democrat Eloise Vitelli of Arrowsic was ousted by a Republican.

Republican Linda Baker, 66, a retired school teacher, took the three-way race with a huge boost from her hometown, Topsham. She garnered 2,780 votes there, 1,001 more than Vitelli.

Unofficial results in the towns comprising Senate District 23, which includes Sagadahoc County and Dresden, were 8,900 votes for Baker, 7,869 for Vitelli and 2,239 for Alice Knapp, a lawyer from Richmond who ran as a Green Independent.

In other area Senate races:

Senate District 14, Gardiner, Hallowell, Chelsea, Farmingdale, Manchester, Monmouth, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, West Gardiner and Winthrop: Republican Earle McCormick of West Gardiner, 9,727; Democrat David Bustin of Hallowell, 7,203; and independent Gary Quintal of West Gardiner, 1,502.

Senate District 15, Augusta, China, Oakland, Sidney and Vassalboro: Incumbent Republican Roger Katz of Augusta, 11,900, and Democrat Rebecca Cornell du Houx of Augusta, 4,583.

Senate District 17, Vienna, Fayette, Mount Vernon, Belgrade and Franklin County: Incumbent Republican Thomas Saviello of Wilton 11,297, and repeat challenger Democrat Joanne Dunlap of Rangeley Plantation, 4,551 (based on partial results).

Senate District 22, Wayne, Litchfield, Leeds, Greene, Turner, Wales, Sabattus, Lisbon, Durham: Incumbent Democrat Garrett Mason of Lisbon, 9,623, and challenger Androscoggin County Sheriff Democrat Guy Desjardins, 7,255.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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