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Political Newcomer, Veteran Win Mass. Elections

A political newcomer and a veteran city politician have won special elections to fill vacant state legislative seats in Peabody and Everett.

Republican Leah Cole, a 24-year-old nurse, won the Peabody election for the right to fill the state House of Representatives seat left vacant when Democrat Joyce Spiliotis died in November after battling cancer.

According to unofficial results, Cole earned 35 percent of the vote, while Democrat Beverley Griffin-Dunne got 34 percent and independent Dave Gravel got 31 percent.

Cole says she's "excited and grateful."

In Everett, longtime Democratic city councilor Wayne Matewsky won over write-in candidate and former mayor John Hanlon.

The seat was left vacant when Stephen "Stat" Smith resigned from the House after agreeing to plead guilty to casting invalid absentee ballots.

This program aired on April 3, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

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