Democrat Kevin Cavanaugh's platform vowed to help “working families” by supporting Medicaid expansion as well as paid family and medical leave.

Cavanaugh is the first Democrat to win a special election in New Hampshire for the state senate since 1984 and only the second Democrat to hold the District 16 seat, according to a tweet from the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

Kevin Cavanaugh For Senate / YouTube

Democrat Kevin Cavanaugh won New Hampshire’s special election Tuesday to represent District 16 in the state senate.

Cavanaugh is the first Democrat to win a special election in New Hampshire for the state senate since 1984 and only the second Democrat to hold the District 16 seat, according to a tweet from the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

The election was held to fill the seat of the late state Sen. Scott McGilvray (D), who died in March. Though the seat was most recently held by another Democrat, Cavanaugh’s Republican opponent, former state Sen. David Boutin, had once represented the district in the state senate.

Republicans in New Hampshire already held the majority in the state senate and Cavanaugh’s win will not shift power to the Democrats.

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“When we invest, we win. That’s what we did here in New Hampshire and that’s what we will continue to do in races up and down the ballot,” Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said in a statement on the race results, according to WMUR.

Cavanaugh’s legislative priorities, according to his website, include tackling the opioid crisis and expanding access to the ballot box through “modern, common-sense voting laws that have been implemented and successful in a majority of other states,” including the implementation of online voter registration and no-excuse in-person early voting.

His platform vows to champion “working families” by supporting Medicaid expansion as well as paid family and medical leave.

Jennifer Frizzell, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund, called Cavanaugh’s win “a clear signal to the New Hampshire legislature that voters are sick and tired of elected officials playing politics with women’s health” in a statement.

“Kevin won because he is a champion for women’s health, and Senate District 16 voters wanted a strong advocate to preserve reproductive health and rights,” the statement continued.

Cavanaugh was endorsed this month by Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund PAC.