Stephenie Scialabba, candidate for state representative for the 12th District, watches election returns on Tuesday, Nov. 8, with Denton Zeronas, 26, of Slippery Rock, at Domenico's Ristorante in Cranberry Township. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

Republican candidate Stephenie Scialabba won the race for the state House 12th District seat on Tuesday night.

Scialabba will replace Republican state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, who announced his retirement earlier this year. She faced Democrat Robert Vigue for the seat. At press time, 20,907 votes were recorded for Scialabba and 12,633 for Vigue.

After the 2022 redistricting of state legislative boundaries, the 12th District consists of Adams, Cranberry and Jackson townships; and Callery, Evans City, Harmony, Mars, Seven Fields, Valencia and Zelienople boroughs.

Stephenie Scialabba, candidate for the 12th Legislative District of the state House, talks with supporters at her watch party at Domenico's Ristorante, in Cranberry Township, on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

“We are very impressed with the turnout that we saw today,” Scialabba said. “We had a lot of boots on the ground and lines out the door and around the building. That’s wonderful, that’s what we like to see, and we’re really pleased with the results we are seeing.”

Scialabba, a resident of Cranberry Township, moved to the township in 2018 with her husband.

A cybersecurity and data privacy lawyer, Scialabba, who formerly practiced law at Eckert Seamans, emphasized her legal experience as helpful in running for office. She defeated candidates Scott Timko of Cranberry Township and Gregg Semel of Zelienople in the May primary.

Vigue, an Air Force veteran who was born in Maine and grew up in Valencia, works for Kromek in Jackson Township as an IT analyst. He has served on Valencia Borough Council for the past seven years, and also has served on the county federated library system board and Mars Area Public Library board.

The experience of running for the state House was largely positive, Vigue said. However, he is unsure if he will run again for his seat with the Valencia Borough Council.

“Ninety-nine percent of the people have been outstanding, Republicans and Democrats. I met a lot of Democrats and a lot of Republicans,” he said. “There were only less than a handful who have been any kind of a problem, but everyone else has been fantastic and good conversations.”

Vigue was encouraged by the high turnout he witnessed traveling to different polling locations during the day.

“I went to Adams Township 2 and 3 at 8 in the morning, and the place was packed as if it was 4 in the afternoon,” Vigue said. “I think the turnout is amazing — win or lose, that’s something to be proud of ... with Metcalf retiring, it gets people out there thinking about it as well.”