SOUTHAMPTON — Incumbent state Rep. Kelly Pease experienced a sweeping victory at the polls on Tuesday and will continue his tenure on Beacon Hill for a third term.

In one of just a handful of contested local elections this year, Pease, a member of the Republican Party, faced a challenge from Bridget Matthews-Kane, a Democratic candidate and three-term Westfield city councilor.

The candidates have spent the past months door knocking, picketing and fundraising in the hopes of being elected to represent the 4th Hampden District, which includes most of Westfield and, since the 2020 census, all of Southampton.

Ultimately, Pease won every precinct in Westfield with a total of 10,609 votes to Matthews-Kane’s 7,045. In Southampton, Pease received 2,098 votes and Matthews-Kane received 1,813.

As voters exited the polls in Southampton on Tuesday afternoon, many of those who cast their votes for Pease expressed that, for them, he represents a dissenting Republican voice in the largely Democratic Legislature. For others, the presidential election stole the show, and Pease gained their vote along party lines.

Brian Kelly, a Southampton resident, said he comes from a conservative family and identifies as a Republican. When it came to state representative candidates, Kelly knew he wanted to keep a GOP voice on Beacon Hill, but the White House was his main concern.

“It was more about the presidential race, and who I agree with more,” said Kelly, explaining his vote.

Dmitriy Kondratyev, another Southampton voter, said he has always identified as conservative and aligned himself with the Republican Party as well. He stated that he’s been satisfied with Pease’s representation, and didn’t see a need for change.

“I would like to keep everything the same,” he said.

Among those who cast their votes for Matthews-Kane, some expressed that they did not feel that same satisfaction with Pease’s representation, and some simply wanted a change.

Southampton resident Maureen Groden said she encouraged Matthews-Kane to run because she has found Pease’s representation “deplorable.” Groden said that women’s rights and climate change are two of her biggest concerns, and that Pease’s voting record has not shown support for those issues. Groden also took particular issue with donations Pease’s campaign had previously received from the Massachusetts Citizens for Life State PAC, a pro-life organization.

Alternatively, Jen McDonald said upon exiting the Southampton polls that Pease didn’t win over her vote because she didn’t believe Southampton was a priority for him.

“One of the things that I noticed online, honestly, in the community forum, was that the current Rep. would include updates about what he was doing, and wouldn’t include a lot about Southampton,” McDonald said, referring to Pease’s periodic update posts shared in the Southampton Facebook group.

But Pease ultimately emerged victorious, expressing thanks to his family members and community members who supported him throughout his contested campaign.

“I’m gonna continue to bring common sense to the State House, work with Democrats and Republicans and work to get more money for roads, schools and getting PFAS out of our water,” Pease told the Gazette.

When asked about how he will advocate for Southampton in his upcoming term, Pease said he believes his focus on regulating per- and plolyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals” because of their persistence in the environment, will benefit consumers “across the board” because of how widely they are used in clothing, furniture, packaging and other materials.

Pease also said he would focus on securing funding to bolster Southampton’s regional schools, improve transportation infrastructure and aid in the construction of the town’s new public safety complex — which he put $150,000 toward in the House’s version of the forthcoming economic development bill on Beacon Hill. He believes that this work and more can be done by strengthening the coalition of western Massachusetts officials in the State House.

“We’ve got to strengthen that coalition so we secure more money for western Massachusetts and make sure it’s not all just going to Boston,” he said. “We need to make sure our roads, our transportation infrastructure gets funded too.”

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Matthews-Kane congratulated her opponent on his win, saying that she had called him the previous night to wish him well in his third term. She continued that she hopes to use the expertise and connections gained through her campaign to create positive change in the community.

“In closing, I knocked on 3,500 doors, and one thing was clear to me: many people are struggling and frustrated. We must find ways to provide real results to ease their burdens,” wrote Matthews-Kane. “I think it’s government’s job to make life better for people, and I hope that change happens in the upcoming years.”

Matthews-Kane told the Gazette that she is honored to continue serving the community as a Westfield City Councilor and that she has not developed any future plans for further campaigns.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.