John Lawn Wins Reelection to 10th Middlesex Rep. Seat

State Rep. John Lawn bested Republican challenger Francis Stanton in the race for the 10th Middlesex state representative seat.

Lawn easily slid to victory with 10,406 total votes to Stanton's 3,290, according to election results. In Watertown, Lawn received 3,211 votes to Stanton's 684. In Newton, Lawn received 1,775 votes to Stanton's 492. In Waltham, Lawn got 5,420 votes to Stanton's 2,114. 

Speaking at his victory party at The Gaff, a Waltham bar, Lawn said he would start the new legislative term by focusing on three priorities — jobs, the fate of the Fernald property in Waltham and repealing the statute of limitations on prosecuting sexual abuse of children. Lawn said the biggest priority district-wide was jobs.

"We are on the right path," he said, referring to how the state has fared during the economic recession.

Stanton, who called Lawn to congratulate him, said he was thrilled to receive 27 percent of the vote and hinted at running for elected office again.

"I thought it was a good race. I"m feeling pretty good," he told Waltham Patch. 

Lawn, a Watertown real estate agent, was first elected during a special 2010 election to replace former state representative Peter Koutoujian after he was appointed Middlesex County Sheriff. 

The seat covers parts of Waltham, Newton and Watertown. In Watertown, it covers precincts 10, 11 and 12. In Newton, it encompasses precincts 1 and 4 of Ward 1. In Waltham, the seat covers precinct 2 of Ward 4, precinct 1 of Ward 5, precinct 2 of Ward 6, precinct 2 of Ward 7 and all of Wards 8 and 9.

Stanton, a Waltham resident, announced his candidacy in April saying he wanted to make sure somebody challenged Lawn. Since then, he has advocted for Waltham taking over the Fernald site for its own purposes instead of allowing to become "overdevelop[ed]". He has also called for Massachusetts to repeal its new health care cost control bill.

Lawn has advocated for a long-term funding solution for the MBTA and creating more jobs statewide among other positions.