POULSBO — Democrat Sherry Appleton will be heading back down to Olympia in January, an annual trip she’s made for years to fight for many different causes.

However, this time around, she won’t be going as a lobbyist— but as one of the 23rd District’s State Representatives.

The long-time Poulsbo resident defeated her Republican opponent Frank Mahaffay in Tuesday’s election by a margin of 55 percent to 42 percent, picking up 28,244 votes to Mahaffay’s 21,347 to take a seat in the state’s legislature.

“I intend to work as hard inside the caucus as I did on the outside,” said Appleton of her victory.”

Appleton will replace Phil Rockefeller (D-Bainbridge Island) in the District 1 Position and said she is thrilled she’ll be representing her community for the next two years in Olympia.

“It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work,” she said. “I’m so excited. It’s just wonderful.”

The former Poulsbo City Councilwoman and avid lobbyist said she thought the difference in the race was her knowledge of Washington’s key issues that her opponent lacked.

“I think the bottom line is that I talked about issues and I knew the issues,” she said. “Frank didn’t have a plan and didn’t know the issues well.”

She added she felt Mahaffay’s campaign “devolved” into what she called “awful hit pieces,” that were mailed to potential voters.

Appleton is headed to the state capitol with a lengthy list of agenda items. Most notably, she commented, was the need to reform education and health care in the state.

“My agenda is children,” she said. “Their accessibility to affordable health care and basic education.”

She said she’ll also to continue to push for the importation of prescription drugs from Canada to lower the costs for seniors, especially those who have no insurance.

“This is a vital (addition) to their health and welfare,” she said.

She cites her other priorities as job creation, creating transportation solutions using mass transit and protecting the environment, namely that of Hood Canal.

Mahaffay was not able to be reached for comment by Herald press time.