Jason Knight is heading back to the Statehouse.

The Barrington resident and District 67 representative defeated Republican challenger Scott Fuller on Tuesday night, Nov. 8. 

Rep. Knight, a Democrat, received 3,555 votes (60.2 percent), while Fuller received 2,339 votes (39.2 percent).

Rep. Knight praised Fuller for the work he did during his campaign. 

“This was a real election,” Rep. Knight said. “And there was a clear choice between candidates. I’m glad people had a choice and I’m glad I prevailed.”

Rep. Knight said he is eager to get back to work at the Statehouse, focusing on key issues for his constituents. 

“I’m excited to stay on top of the DOT (Rhode Island Department of Transportion) and the (bike path) bridges,” Rep. Knight said. 

The District 67 representative focused a lot of his attention on the East Bay Bike Path bridges, urging state officials to repair or replace the now-closed spans. Just weeks before the election, state officials announced plans to replace and reopen the bridges.

Rep. Knight also said: “… I feel like coming out of this election, statewide, I feel like there’s going to be a renewed emphasis on education.

“I feel like it’s going to get a lot more attention from legislators.”

Rep. Knight said he plans to continue working on affordable housing and other issues too. 

Hometown struggles

Scott Fuller has lived in Barrington for more than 50 years, but the Republican candidate struggled to garner anywhere near as many Barrington votes as his Democrat opponent.

“This is my hometown,” Fuller said of Barrington. “And I lost by 1,000 votes (in this town). Barrington is not looking for a Republican. This town’s changed too much.”

About 10 years ago, Fuller won a seat on the Barrington School Committee, defeating an incumbent Democrat in the process.

But the makeup of the community has changed in the last decade, he said. New residents with different backgrounds have moved in, Fuller added.

“They have a different set of ideals,” he said. 

Fuller said he fared better in Warren — District 67 covers portions of Warren and Barrington.