Former select board member Steve Ouellette’s first and only term as Eighth Bristol District Representative came to an end Tuesday when voters across the district’s five towns chose Republican Jesse St. Gelais to represent the district for the next two years. The race was close —9,006 to 8,547 in unofficial results Wednesday afternoon.

Ouellette, a Democrat, bucked the trend in his first election to the seat two years ago, winning the contest in a district that voted for President Donald Trump that year by winning by less than 1 percent over Republican challenger Christopher Thrasher of Westport.

This time around, it was a different story. In Westport, where he received greater overall support in 2024, his margin of victory was lower — his fellow Westporters voted for him 4,396 to 3,839 this year.

The district covers all of Westport and parts of New Bedford, Fall River, Freetown and St. Gelais’ home town, Acushnet.

“To every voter who checked the box next to my name, thank you,” St. Gelais said in a statement to The New Bedford Light Wednesday afternoon. “And to those who supported Rep. Ouellette, I look forward to working just as hard for you and earning your trust and support as well.”

The two were not far apart on many issues, including improving the plight of farmers, fighting for affordability issues and more state and federal aid. But they differed on others, and in the weeks leading up to the election Ouellette said he would continue to advocate on important issues made even more critical, he said, by Trump’s election two years ago.

“The economy is a mess right now,” Ouellette said just prior to the Republican primary. “I’m guessing 75 percent of the farmers voted for Trump (last time) … and I’m sure most of them are sorry for that now.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Ouellette thanked his supporters:

“It has truly been an honor serving you as your State Representative the last 2 years,” he wrote. “Congratulations to the winners yesterday, we witnessed the blue wave hit across the country. Unfortunately in the 8th Bristol we didn’t get the results we hoped for.”