Republicans pick up seat in Senate as Peter Durant defeats Jonathan Zlotnik

SPENCER ― Republican state Rep. Peter Durant of Spencer will fill the state Senate seat given up by Anne Gobi.

Durant upended Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik of Gardner in the race for the Senate seat from the Worcester & Hampshire district.

The post has been open for several months, since Anne Gobi stepped down to take on the role of state director of rural affairs.

"It's a lot to take in," Durant said of his victory.

Asked his start date in the Senate, he replied, "I don't know, it's up to the Senate president." Durant said. He will have to resign his House seat, which could possibly trigger another special election.

His opponent conceded the race before 9 p.m.

"It's back to work tomorrow," Zlotnik said.

Calling his resounding win a team effort, Durant said now the real work starts.

The future senator will be attending the formal House session Wednesday, where representatives will be asked to vote on the closeout fiscal year 2024 budget, including amendments that will fund the state's emergency shelter system.

He is gratified he will be able to "work on, vote on and argue on" several issues that are important to him, not least the budget vote, and the gun legislation that was passed by the House in October and moves to the Senate in the coming months.

The Worcester & Hampshire districts includes Gardner, Spencer, Holden, Rutland and sections of Worcester.

Durant said his focus would be to make Massachusetts more competitive as a state and more responsive to small businesses.

Before Durant entered politics, he ran a small specialty construction firm based in Worcester.

The special election served as litmus test for the state’s GOP.

Divisions in the party ‒ visible in the last election cycle when some members endorsed a Trump-backed candidate for governor, Geoff Diehl, while others including outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker backed Chris Doughty – have been evident since the ouster of the former state committee Chairman Jim Lyons.

Local Republicans have worked hard to support Durant, whose wife ran for the lieutenant governorship with Doughty.

However, Lyons and other party stalwarts have been gathering at rallies and political fundraisers to support Durant.

Top of mind for the Republican is the migrant crisis.

Durant endorses legislation that would limit shelter beds to Massachusetts residents and those with legal standing in the U.S. who have spent at least three years in the state.

Fixing the state's housing, workforce and affordability problems are also on his front-burner. First order of business: Build more dwellings with an eye toward the character of the community where the units are being built. The market will take care of setting the rate; once there is more housing, the cost to buy or rent, Durant is confident, will decline.

The extensive overhaul of the state’s gun laws, a bill that was recently voted on in the House and passed over to the Senate for action there, is a concern for Durant. He believes the legislation is too far-reaching and abrogates the Second Amendment, interfering with a citizen’s right to bear arms. In the Senate, Durant believes, his voice will carry more weight when dealing with the gun legislation than it did while he was a member of the House.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Peter Durant defeats Jonathan Zlotnik as GOP gains Mass. Senate seat