A state Senate seat long held by the Democratic party will now be represented by a Republican.

State Rep. Peter Durant, R-Spencer, defeated fellow Representative Jon Zlotnik, D-Gardner, in the Special State Election for the Senate seat representing the Worcester and Hampshire district. Durant said that Zlotnik called to concede the evening of Nov. 7, after the polls had closed.

Reached on Wednesday morning, Durant thanked Zlotnik for running a good campaign. Zlotnik could not be reached for comment by press time.

“It does send a message to Beacon Hill that the people of the district are not happy with the direction things are going,” Durant said, adding that the margin of victory was well beyond what had been predicted.

When asked about the issues he heard from voters, Durant said the recent gun legislation—criticized for being punitive to registered gun owners—and the influx of migrants topped the list. The latter is an issue the Durant has spoken about much during his campaign. In recent months, millions have been spent on housing, healthcare and other needs for the migrant families that have arrived in Massachusetts. Durant said he tied this to the cost of living in the state—another important issue among voters—and one that he said would be impacted as more is spent.

“We’re spending a lot of money on shelters, food and healthcare—the list keeps going on,” Durant said. “In the not too distant future it will affect us all.”

Gov. Maura Healey has introduced a supplemental budget which includes $250 million for the state’s strained emergency shelter system. Healey said this week that she expects the system to hit the cap of 7,500 families, roughly half of which are migrants. Durant has filed an amendment to modify the state’s right-to-shelter law, that only legal residents of Massachusetts who have been here for at least three years qualify for emergency shelter. That legislation was taken up in the House on Wednesday.

“The dollars are adding up,” Durant said. “We need to make it about the taxpayers, not the dollars that we’re spending.”

According to unofficial results, Durant bested Zlotnik in many of the 22 cities and towns of the district, with the exception of Gardner, Worcester, and Princeton. Durant received 11,985 votes to Zlotnik’s 9,813. The Town of Phillipston backed Durant by a vote of 182-109. According to the Phillipston Town Clerk’s office, 291 of the town’s 1,386 registered voters went to the polls on Tuesday.

The Senate seat was last held by Anne Gobi, who stepped down to take a position with the Healey-Driscoll Administration as state’s first director of rural affairs. The district includes 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 he’ll be forming his team over the next few days and will reach out to district officials to discuss their needs and how he can best support them. On the subject of his amendment to the right-to-shelter law, he said that should it fail in the House, he plans to introduce it to the Senate.

“People predicted a small victory,” said Durant. “This was a deciding victory.”

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