Incumbent Melanie Sachs will once again represent Freeport in the state House after defeating Republican James Finegan Jr. in Tuesday’s House District 102 race, according to unofficial results from the town.

“I am so deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role for this community I absolutely love,” Sachs said. “I am excited to be able to work on their behalf for the next two years.”

Sachs has represented Freeport since soundly defeating Finegan in the 2020 House District 48 race. While redistricting has since changed the number of the town’s district, it hasn’t altered the area’s lean toward Democrats.

Finegan, a former communications director for the Maine House Republican Office, hoped a wave of economic discontent would help him improve on a 2020 showing that saw him win 34% of the vote. Instead, the rematch favored Sachs, who earned 71% of the vote, according to unofficial results.

The result was part of an unexpectedly successful night for Maine Democrats, who are projected to retain control of both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s office.

“I think this signifies that Mainers, and Freeport in particular, are excited about the progress that we have made,” said Sachs, who cited the Legislature’s recent expansion of municipal revenue sharing and education funding. “Those issues are really important to my constituents and are reflective, I think, of much of the legislation we passed over the last two years.”

During her next two-year term, Sachs hopes to expand access to health care, safeguard voting rights and combat climate change, which she called the issue that most concerns her constituents.