(Photo Credit: Dean Tran For Senate/Facebook)
FITCHBURG, Mass. (AP) - Republican Dean Tran has won a special election to fill a vacant state Senate seat in central Massachusetts.
The Fitchburg City Councilor defeated Democrat Susan Chalifoux Zephir of Leominster and two other candidates on Tuesday.
He succeeds Democrat Jennifer Flanagan, who was appointed in August to the Cannabis Control Commission.
Tran was born in Vietnam and came to the U.S. with his family as a young child. He was elected to the city council in 2005.Republican Gov. Charlie Baker campaigned for Tran in the district, which also includes Gardner, Lunenburg and several smaller towns.
The GOP will now hold seven seats in the 40-member Senate.
Tran's election came one day after Democrat Stan Rosenberg stepped aside as Senate President amid a report of sexual misconduct allegations involving Rosenberg's husband.
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