Lewis Defeats Georgountzos in State Rep. Race

State Rep. Jason Lewis won re-election, defeating challenger George Georgountzos on election day Tuesday.

After losing six of seven precincts in his home town of Stoneham, Georgountzos conceded victory in the state representative race to the incumbent.

Lewis Ready to Move Forward

In a statement posted on Patch, Lewis recognized Georgountzos for his work in the community.

"I want to congratulate George Georgountzos for his commitment to public service," Lewis said. "It is not easy to put yourself and your family in the public eye and run for elected office."

Lewis wrote that he is "ready to get back to work: pursuing local economic development opportunities; fighting for fair and adequate funding for all our schools; championing quality, affordable healthcare for our families, seniors, and small businesses; and continuing to implement reforms that make our government more efficient and responsive to our needs."

Campaign Party

In an interview with Patch from his campaign party at Angelo's Ristorante in Stoneham, Georgountzos said he called Lewis to concede the race and also to congratulate him on the victory.

In Stoneham, Georgountzos won precinct six, his home territory, but fell in the remaining six precincts.

In Winchester, Lewis received 7,576 votes to Georgountzos' 4,307, while in Stoneham Lewis tallied 6,282 to Georgountzos' 5034.

Candidates Look Back

Lewis thanked his donors and volunteers for helping him in his re-election bid. "This would not have been possible without the hard work of our dedicated volunteers and student interns, and the generous financial support of our donors," Lewis wrote.

Georgountzos also reflected on the campaign.

"We really gave him a run for his money," Georgountzos said. "We fought a really hard race. The gloves were off in a lot of areas and at the end of the day the numbers were just not there. I was disappointed we didn't carry Stoneham. I'm glad I carried my precinct where I live and my friends all came out for me, but I really expected to win Stoneham by a heavy margin and that didn't happen. I also expected Gov. (Mitt) Romney to win here and that didn't happen."

Last Hurrah?

After losing a second time, Georgountzos indicated that this likely will be the last time he runs for State Rep.

"I think Jason is in this for the good reasons and he's got his heart in the right place. I disagree with him vehemetly on different issues, but you can't argue that he is not there for the right things and I'm going to support him when I can," Georgountzos said. "He is going to be the (State) Rep. for the foreseeable future. I don't think I'm going to run for office again."

While he was disappointed to have fallen short in his bid for State Rep., Georgountzos said he was more disappointed for the dozens of volunteers who helped him out on the campaign trail.

"I am grateful to my supporters, my campaign staff, my friends, and my family for their support," Georgountzos wrote in a statement on Stoneham Patch. "I look forward to continuing to serve my community as a member of the Stoneham Finance & Advisory Board and wish Rep. Lewis and his family well."

Previous coverage:

Profiles:

• Candidate Profile: Jason Lewis
• Candidate Profile: George Georgountzos

Debates:

• Day at the Races Forum Recap (PHOTOS)
• Winchester League of Women Voters Seeks Questions for Candidate Forum
• Georgountzos Calls For Public Debates with Lewis

Readers' Questions:

• State Rep. Candidates Answer Broadband Question
• State Rep. Jason Lewis Answers Readers' Questions
• State Rep. Candidate George Georgountzos Answers Readers' Questions
• What Questions Do You Have For the State Rep. Candidates?

Other Info:

• Citizens For Limited Taxation Endorses Georgountzos
• Lewis Bests DePinto for State Rep in Democratic Primary
• Lewis Hosts Fundraiser in Winchester