Peter Durant has bested challenger Bruce Chester to claim the Republican nomination for the Senate seat formerly held by Anne Gobi in a special election.

Durant, the state representative for the 6th Worcester District, will now face Gardner state Rep. Jon Zlotnik, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat. The general election will take place on Nov. 7.

Tuesday’s primary saw Durant win by a wide margin, receiving 2,828 votes to Chester’s 1,840, according to unofficial poll results.

Chester said he called Durant at around 9 p.m. the evening of the primary, after it became clear that the numbers were not in his favor.

“We were watching the numbers pretty closely,” Chester said Wednesday morning. “It just, mathematically, it wasn’t going to work.”

Durant credited Chester with a “spirited campaign,” adding that it was hard-fought. He said that the results felt like a vindication.

“Our message resonates,” Durant said on Wednesday. “We talked to voters, we listened to them, we’re working on helping get those concerns addressed.”

The special election was organized following Gobi stepping down to take a post in the Healey-Driscoll administration as the state’s first director of rural affairs. The Senate’s Worcester and Hampshire District includes 22 municipalities: Gardner, Worcester, (Ward 7 Precincts 2, 4, 5, 6, Ward 9 Precincts 3, and 4), Barre, Brookfield, East Brookfield, Hardwick, Holden, Hubbardston, Leicester, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Paxton, Phillipston, Princeton, Rutland, Spencer, Sterling, Templeton, West Brookfield, Westminster and Ware.

Durant said the results of the primary showed him that there is a lot of work to do with communities such as Gardner, where he lost to Chester. Durant feels that his experience as a business owner and working in local politics gives him an advantage over Zlotnik.

“I don’t think there’s even a comparison,” Durant said.

When the campaign began, Durant said he was focused on issues such as schools and taxes. Very quickly, however, he learned that voters were talking about immigration in Massachusetts and a new gun bill that is geared toward improving safety, but criticized as being too restrictive on licensed gun owners.

“Those migrated and morphed into what everyone we talked to wants to know about,” he said.

On immigration, Durant feels that the costs need to be closely examined. It’s estimated that $45 million is spent every month on migrant families that have come to Massachusetts, and Durant expects this to increase in the near future. He added that there are ancillary impacts, such as these families being placed in hotels, which could impact tourism.

“All these little tentacles that come out, people don’t quite understand yet, but they are starting to feel these things,” Durant said.

Chester, who has run twice in state representative races, won several towns, including his hometown of Gardner, along with Hubbardston, Templeton and Phillipston. He hoped for a higher voter turnout, and believes that would have made the difference. He added that more campaigning in towns where he was not as well-known would have helped.

“Every campaign is a learning experience, whether you win it or lose it,” Chester said.

Chester made appearances at several events, and said there was a great deal of interest in the election. He recalled one 80-year-old woman who said she had never voted before, but planned to in the primary. He also had the chance to meet Durant, and recalled the encounters as friendly.

When asked if he planned to run again in the future, Chester said he was considering it, but had not made an official decision. He said he may look at the state representative races to be held next year, particularly Zlotnik’s.

“I think people are looking for changes,” he said. “It was why I ran for Senate; they want a fresh voice. People need to know that Bruce Chester isn’t done yet.”

Max Bowen can be reached at 413-930-4074 or at mbowen@recorder.com.