AUGUSTA — James Orr handily won the Republican nomination for House District 59, according to unofficial results released by the city clerk on Tuesday night.

Orr won his party’s nomination with 332 votes to opponent Michael Michaud’s 197, according to the unofficial results.

He will go on to face incumbent Democrat Raegan LaRochelle in the general election in November. The district, following redistricting last year, roughly consists of northern Augusta, on the west side of the Kennebec River. Most of the district was previously part of House District 86.

Orr is an Army veteran who also volunteers as president of Veteran Mentors of Maine. During his campaign he said he was motivated to run so he could “represent the typical hard-working Mainer and not be beholden to special interests or play partisan games.” Orr hopes to tackle issues such as the current costs of necessities like gas, food, heating oil and prescription drugs.

James Orr, an Army veteran and candidate in the Republican primary for the state House of Representatives District 59 in Augusta. Courtesy of James Orr

After his election win Tuesday night, Orr said that Michaud had “a very good campaign,” and that he didn’t know how the election would turn out.

Orr said he learned that after 24 years of being in the military, and through playing sports throughout grade school and high school, that “no matter what it is that you do, you leave it on the field.”

“And that’s what I did on the evening of the 13th,” he said, “and a decision was made by the people of Augusta today. It was a very tough campaign, and I know that the next round here is gonna be even harder.”