State Rep. Jim Lyons was able to grab the votes to reclaim his seat in the State House of Representatives in the 18th Essex District.

Lyons bested former State Rep. Barbara L'Italien, garnering 50.43 percent of the votes versus L'Italien's 48.18 percent of votes.

According to results from the Associated Press, 11,735 voters chose Lyons to represent them in the 18th Essex House District. L'Italien lost by a little over 500 votes, garnering a total of 11,210 votes.

Lyons was elected in 2010 and is now celebrating his first reelection victory. Lyons had no other Republican challegners in the September primary.

Lyons, celebrating his victory at his High Vale Lane home, commented on his successful reelection bid.

“I was very grateful for the support from our district,” said Lyons of his initial reaction to the results. “We will continue to fight for our local aid, openness and transparency on Beacon hill and rolling back taxes.”

Lyons talked about his success in the reclaiming his seat in 18^th Essex District.

“Campaigns are always a process of going back out and talking to voters. We do a lot of door to door. That’s what it’s all about,” said Lyons. 

He added that he is thankful for the “enormous number of people who are actively involved in [his] campaign.”

“We are making sure our tax dollars are being spend with accountability. That’s what our campaign was all about.

Barbara L'Italien, who is a strong advocate for special education funding, served as state representative for several years until she was unseated by Lyons in 2010.