Rep. Jim Marzilli, drew strength from his Democratic base in Arlington and won the Senate seat in the 4th Middlesex district Dec. 11 in decisive fashion. With all 56 precincts reporting, Marzilli, a Democrat, had 6,273 votes, Brion M. Cangiamila, a Republican, had 3,811 and Thomas E. Fallon of the Constitution Party had 471.
 Marzilli
In Arlington, with all 21 precincts reporting, the numbers were: Marzilli (3,378), Cangiamila (1,014) and Fallon (102). Marzilli won all 21 precincts.
The 17-year state representative took 75 percent of the vote in Arlington and 77 percent in Lexington, where he received 1,301 votes to Cangiamila's 352.
The votes in those two towns offset wins for Cangiamila in his hometown of Billerica, in Burlington and Woburn. The former selectman received 1,041 votes in Billerica, to Marzilli's 548.
The numbers elsewhere:
Burlington: Cangiamila (688), Marzilli (464).
Woburn: Cangiamila (716), Marzilli (582).
A total of 4,494 ballots were cast in Arlington.
By comparison, 7,385 votes were cast in Arlington in the Nov. 13 primary. The clerk's office said Arlington has 28,058 registered voters last month, or a turnout in November of 26.3 percent.
"I think the voters of the 4th District spoke very loudly that they believe that the state government plays an important role in their lives, and it needs to step up to the plate to increase local aid and control the costs of energy and health care," the Lowell Sun quoted Marzilli.
The seat was left vacant by the resignation in August of Robert Havern, an Arlington Democrat who held the seat since 1991. He now serves as president of the Massachusetts Government Relations practice of lobbying firm ML Strategies.
The Sun quoted Cangiamila, 45: "It has nothing to do with being a Republican." He said that any candidate from outside of Arlington, regardless of his political stripes, would be hard pressed to win, the newspaper reported.
"The district is lopsided, Arlington is very parochial, and the people of Arlington come out to vote, you just can't beat those percentages," The Sun reported.
With the 4th Middlesex Senate seat set, attention turns to who might run for Marzilli's House seat. Observers have suggested one potentiial Arlington candidate, Ken Donnelly, who lost in the primary.
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