House Majority Leader John J. DeSimone, who has served in the House since 1992, trailed Providence public school teacher Marcia Ranglin-Vassell by 17 votes with all precincts reporting and mail ballots counted.

Voters shook up the General Assembly Tuesday, turning a handful of longtime lawmakers out of office including House Majority Leader John J. DeSimone, the second-ranking member of the House of Representatives, according to preliminary results from the state Board of Elections.

DeSimone, who has served in the House since 1992, trailed Providence public school teacher Marcia Ranglin-Vassell by 17 votes with all precincts reporting and mail ballots counted. Pending a recount, Ranglin-Vassell will face Republican Roland Lavallee in the November general election.

"I don't get into anything unless I think I can win," Ranglin-Vassell said while waiting for results Tuesday afternoon.

Of the 18 incumbents facing primary challenges, six, including DeSimone, lost. They are all Democrats.

Rep. Eileen Naughton lost to Warwick City Councilor Camille Vella-Wilkinson in House District 21.

Vella-Wilkinson, who hammered Naughton for voting for Governor Raimondo's truck toll bill, will face Republican Michael Penta and two independents in November.

Liquor store owner Rep. Jan Malik of Warren lost to Barrington attorney Jason Knight in House District 67.

Sen. William Walaska, D-Warwick, lost to Jeanine Calkin, a former Bernie Sanders campaign staffer, in Senate District 30.

Rep. Thomas Palangio lost to waitress and labor organizer Moira Walsh in Providence's House District 3.

Sen. Juan Pichardo lost to Providence city employee Ana Quezada in Senate District 2.

It was a good night for the Democratic party's liberal wing, with four candidates endorsed by the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats winning.

In addition to Ranglin-Vassell, Walsh and Calkin they included Susan Donovan of Bristol who defeated Todd Giroux of Bristol in the Democratic primary to succeed former House Finance Committee member Raymond Gallison Jr. in House District 69.

Donovan will square off in the general election against Republican Antonio Avila of Bristol, who defeated Eric R.D. Hall Tuesday.

Progressive Democrats State Coordinator Sam Bell called the results a "body blow to the political machine."

It was also good night for gun-control advocates, who targeted Malik and DeSimone while supporting Linda Finn in House District 72. Finn, of Middletown, defeated Mattiello-endorsed Democrat James Cawley of Portsmouth and will face Kenneth Mendoca in the general election.

Walaska was endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

As of 10 p.m., Rep. Anastasia Williams, also in her 12th term, appeared to have defeated challenger Michael Gazdacko in Providence's House District 9.

Williams, who fought off scrutiny about omissions on her state financial disclosures, won 685 to 996.

In the race to replace Rep. John Carnevale, who was disqualified for not proving he lived in his Providence district, Mattiello-endorsed Ramon Perez defeated Lisa Scorpio and Anthony Defilippo in House District 13. There is no Republican on the ballot.

In East Providence, City Councilman Helder Cunha defeated former Rep. Brian Coogan in the race to replace former House Finance Committee Chairman Helio Melo. There is no Republican on the ballot.

A number of factors likely played into the surprising results.

Turnout was low across the state.

The toll vote upset some voters, while progressives were energized by the presidential race.

A number of controversies, including Gallison's resignation under federal investigation and Carnevale's ouster, likely eroded confidence in incumbents.

At the Roger Williams Park Casino polling place in Providence, there appeared to be more geese than voters around 4 p.m., but Quezada and Pichardo supporters sat next to each other with signs.

At Veazie Elementary School in Providence Talsirys "Tally" Abreu, avoided a crush of DeSimone and Ranglin-Vassell supporters as she entered with her daughter, 10-year-old Amaia Ortega.

When asked why she is voting, Abreu said, "it's the only way you can complain later on." She also said she has not seen any of her representatives and wants there to be changes. She was there to vote for Ranglin-Vassell.

panderson@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7384

On Twitter: @PatrickAnderso_

VIDEO: "We struck a body blow to the political machine that has been running our state into the ground for decades," Sam Bell, state coordinator of the Progressive Democrats, tells Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina, at Board of Election headquarters: