BREWSTER – Voters on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket chose Democrat Julian Cyr as their new State Senator, replacing the retiring Dan Wolf on Beacon Hill.
Cyr, a political newcomer, led Republican Anthony Schiavi by roughly 10,500 votes, 54,157 to 43,635 early Wednesday morning.
Cyr’s election was driven in part by strong support from communities on the Outer Cape, with the Truro resident beating Schiavi by 900 votes in Orleans in 900 votes in Brewster. Cyr picked up a landslide victory in Provincetown, winning by 2,000 votes.
The Democrat credited a strong grassroots campaign as a major factor in his victory, and said many of his campaign staff were “young native Cape Codders”
“I promise to be driven by the people and the community I serve, and by fulfilling the promised I made to better Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket,” Cyr said in a statement.
The win marks a return to Beacon Hill in the form of elected office for Cyr, who previously served as the director of policy and regulatory affairs for environmental health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Cyr worked under former Gov. Deval Patrick as deputy director for government affairs at the Department of Public Health.
“I’ve worked with the legislature for over six years, so I’ve got a good sense of what day one looks like,” Cyr said.
Cyr had built a coalition of Cape Cod democrats ahead of the election, including outgoing State Senator Dan Wolf and Provincetown State Rep. Sarah Peake, who actively campaigned for Cyr.
The victory means the seat stays in Democratic control, as it has since the year 2000 when Rob O’Leary was elected. Republicans held the seat for forty years before 2000.
“We both ran very good races and he came out on top in this one and I congratulate him on this win,” Schiavi said. “I know he’ll do his best to serve Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Schiavi and Cyr were both seeking elected office for the first time.
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