Incumbent Democratic Representative Lois Capps has earned a victory over Republican Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado and ended the election over who will represent the 24th district.

Republicans hoped to take the seat from the Democrats after new district boundaries were crafted last year. After months of negative ad campaigns used by both candidates, Capps thanked Maldonado during her victory speech Tuesday night at the El Paseo Restaurant in Santa Barbara.

“I want to say a word of thanks to my honorable opponent, Abel Maldonado, for running a tough race and for all of his many years of public service along the central coast and in Sacramento,” Capps said.

With a tally of 52.1 percent (63,888 votes) over Maldonado’s 47.9 percent (58,692 votes), Capps called it a night. After the results came in, Daraka Larimore-Hall, the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party chairman gave his thoughts on the victory.

“She had a real challenge in the parts of the district that she hasn’t either represented of never represented in a really long time.,” Larimore-Hall said. “Lois has been a real campaign for bringing resources into this district, educational resources, research resources, community resources and I believe she will continue to do that.”

Capps’ focus on Medicare reform, nursing shortages, women’s rights, mental healthcare, legalization of marijuana, support for city colleges and Proposition 30 and other heavily left-wing agendas has earned her another less flattering reputation as a party loyalist, unwilling to compromise with the right wing.

“The role that I can play in the federal government for colleges and universities is make it more affordable,” Capps said. “If Maldonado wins, it will be the opposite.”

Capps, who has been a congresswoman since 2003, was excited about the high amount of student voters that came out to support her.

“12,000 people voted in Isla Vista,” she said. “Our young people rock.”

Capps specifically mentioned City College, UCSB, Cal Poly and Westmont College in her speech and proclaimed at these schools are “the future.”

Chris Anderson, a guest speaker at Maldonado’s election party at the Butler Event Center, was dissatisfied with Capps’ win.

“There is a YouTube video in which she said the constitution says we have the right to health, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. I was kind of saddened by that statement because it is extremely inaccurate,” he said to gathered supporters.