HANCOCK COUNTY — As the votes were tallied on Tuesday night, supporters and family of Ethan Lawson celebrated as he won the Republican primary race for District 53 State Representative.

District 53 includes parts of Hancock and Madison counties, including Pendleton.

Lawson won with 2,982 total votes, while Kevin Mandrell had 2,319, Keely Butrum 2,205 and Brian Evans 1,324. The Madison County results were: Lawson, 695; Mandrell, 386; Evans, 291; and Butrum, 218.

Lawson’s initial reaction was that he was grateful to God, family, friends and the people he met knocking on thousands of doors across Hancock and Madison counties to help him secure the seat for Republican candidate.

“I really think if you’re going to represent people, you’ve got to get out and meet people and hear what’s on their mind,” Lawson said at the Courthouse Annex in Greenfield. “And doing that I think has put us in the position we’re in tonight, so I’m pretty grateful.”

Lawson was with his wife, Holly, along with his father-in-law and mother-in-law.

With the primaries over, Mandrell said he does not have any future plans but he did enjoy being able to meet people and hang out with friends and some of the other candidates during the day at voting centers.

Butrum said she will finish out her term on Hancock County council until the end of the year and plans to spend her time on her interests in work and her family.

Butrum said she was thankful to those who supported her campaign over the past six months and also wanted to congratulate Lawson on being the Republican candidate to represent.

“Undoubtedly, Ethan Lawson was the hardest-working candidate this campaign season and it showed,” Butrum said. “I truly believe that Ethan is going to represent us well … I look forward to seeing what he can accomplish for us at the Statehouse.”

Evans also said that he wanted to congratulate Lawson, and said that Lawson and his family had worked hard, earning the nomination.

“I am happy that Ethan ran a clean campaign because not every candidate did,” Evans said.

Evans said his plans for now are to focus on being a dad and his work in non-profit management and workforce development but would also be more than happy serving at the city or county level if the opportunity arises.

As the Annex Center began to empty with many going home, Lawson and his family and friends were some of the last to leave.

Lawson said he is grateful to the other candidates who ran in the race and had honorable campaigns.

“I know they put in a lot of hard work and received a lot of votes, too, and I look forward to representing all Hancock and Madison counties hopefully after the November election,” Lawson said.

State District 53 currently is served by Rep. Bob Cherry (R-Greenfield), who announced last year he would not run for re-eleciton and would retire at after this term, which ends Dec. 31. He’s been in office about 25 years.

Lawson will face Democrat Nate Anderson, who ran unopposed Tuesday, in November’s general election.