CHANGE: Republican Wins Special Election, Flipping District Democrats Won Just Months Ago.

A Maine Republican candidate won a seat in the state’s House of Representatives during a special election Tuesday, flipping a spot that had gone to a Democrat in the November election.

Abden Simmons, a former state representative, was declared the winner with 52 percent of the vote, surpassing Democrat Wendy Pieh’s 48 percent, News Center Maine reported. Pieh is also a former state representative.

Simmons will replace Democrat Clinton Collamore in representing Bremen, Friendship, Louds Island Township, Waldoboro and Washington.

Collamore resigned in February after he was indicted on accusations of violating the Maine Clean Elections Act and of forging signatures to collect $14,000 worth of public campaign funds, News Center Maine reported.

Plus: “Collamore pleaded not guilty to the charges but vowed to return the campaign funds as well as his legislative salary,” which doesn’t sound at all guilty.