BRANDON/PITTSFORD/SUDBURY — For the first time in 37 years, the Brandon-area Vermont House district will send a Democrat representative to Montpelier.
And for the first time ever, there will be a Republican and a Democrat representing Brandon, Pittsford and Sudbury together in the Vermont House.
Republican incumbent Butch Shaw and Democratic challenger Steve Carr were the top vote getters in Tuesday’s General Election, and they will jointly represent the new Rutland-6 district in the Vermont House.
Redistricting due to population shifts created a two-member House district formerly occupied by Republican Joe Acinapura, who has retired. Shaw previously represented Pittsford and Sudbury before the two districts were merged.
Three men vied for the two seats in the district. Acinapura’s endorsement of challenger Seth Hopkins was not enough to elect the young, Republican innkeeper.
Carr garnered the most votes in Brandon at 1,158, followed by Shaw with 909 and Hopkins with 677.
In Pittsford, Shaw was the number-one vote getter with 1,143, followed by Carr with 658 and Hopkins with 420. And in Sudbury, Shaw won 181 votes, Carr had 170 and Hopkins had 88.
All told,  the district-wide vote count was as follows:
•  Shaw        2,233.
•  Carr          1,986.
•  Hopkins    1,185.
For Shaw, the results marked the end of a long and heartening campaign.
“I’m thrilled to death with the support I received from folks in Brandon, Pittsford and Sudbury,” he said after the polls closed Tuesday. “I look forward to serving the entire district and moving forward in the next legislative session.”
Carr said his campaign was hopeful for a positive outcome and very pleased with the results.
“It was enough to get the job done,” he said. “We were cautiously optimistic. We expected to win Brandon and come in second in Pittsford and that’s what happened.”
Hopkins was disappointed but complimented his opponents on a clean race.
“I appreciate the folks that took a chance on me,” he said. “I’m happy to congratulate the other candidates on a positive campaign. I think they’ll do a good job and I’ll give them all the positive support in the world.”
Carr was equally complimentary, noting political differences.
“I can’t say enough about my fellow candidates,” Carr said. “They’re good guys. Obviously, we differ in our politics, but I can’t say enough about them as people