Voters went for city councilor Ben Ewen-Campen in a Democratic primary Tuesday for the state representative seat held by Erika Uyterhoeven, according to unofficial election results, beating first-time candidate Olivia Gilligan-Corsetti, an educator and former legislative aide.
Ewen-Campen came away with 7,116 votes, or 70 percent. Gilligan-Corsetti got 3,068 votes for the remaining 30 percent.
“I am profoundly honored,” Ewen-Campen said Wednesday after the election, vowing to “work for affordable housing, safe streets, great public schools, a fair economy, and a government that is transparent and earns your trust.”
He congratulated Gilligan-Corsetti on her campaign. “When she called last night to congratulate me, we talked about how much fun we’d had knocking doors and talking to neighbors across Somerville,” Ewen-Campen said. “This was an incredibly positive campaign, and I’m grateful that she stepped up.”
The district includes much of Somerville, and with no known Republican or third-party candidates named for November’s general election, it’s likely that the primary decides the race. Ewen-Campen said he would step down from the council to focus on the Legislature, serving until the end of 2026 and a special election to replace him.
The seat had been held by Uyterhoeven since 2021, but she opted to run for the 2nd Middlesex District state Senate seat of the retiring Pat Jehlen.
Ewen-Campen is a Harvard grad and scientist with a track record of municipal legislative accomplishments on the council, where he has served as president; Gilligan-Corsetti is a University of Massachusetts at Amherst grad who brought to the stage a more working-class perspective as a lifelong Somervillian who has been a plumber, teacher and caregiver.
There were 17,250 ballots cast in Somerville out of 54,377 registered voters, for 32 percent turnout.
