Democrat Matthew Beck won the race to succeed the late Rep. Lois Galgay Reckitt of South Portland in Tuesday’s special election.
Beck won just over 74 percent of votes. Two independents in the race split the rest of the votes, with nearly 15 percent going to Brendan Williams and just under 11 percent for Tristram Howard in the low-profile race that covered part of South Portland.
Reckitt, who died in October at age 79, was one of the founders of the progressive Maine Women’s Lobby and unsuccessfully sponsored an equal-rights amendment to the state Constitution four times during her service in the Legislature. In a statement announcing his candidacy, Beck said he would “continue her focus on justice, equality and equal rights.”
The election will not affect business much in the House, where Democrats will now have an 81-68 majority over Republicans with two independents in the chamber.