FRYEBURG – Geographic loyalties and a heavy voter turnout in Bridgton gave Fryeburg lawyer David Hastings the edge over Oxford businessman Caldwell Jackson in Tuesday’s Senate District 13 Republican primary.

Hastings won the primary in the 14-town district by a vote of 1,527 to 1,258, a difference of 269 votes.

“I want to congratulate Caldie Jackson for running an excellent campaign,” said Hastings, who has practiced in his family law firm for 28 years. “It was going down to the wire, and, both being Republican, one of us had to lose.”

Jackson called Hastings Wednesday morning to offer his support in the race against Democrat Marge Medd in November.

“We’ve got to have the (Republican) control in the Senate,” Jackson said. Medd, a former member of the State Board of Education, is going to be a tough opponent to beat, Jackson said.

The Senate District 13 seat is being vacated by former Senate President Rick Bennett of Norway, who served for eight years in Augusta and is prevented from running again because of term limits.

Recent redistricting, based on the 2000 U.S. Census, redrew the lines of Senate District 13. The district now comprises the towns of Baldwin, Bridgton, Harrison, Naples, Sebago, Brownfield, Denmark, Fryeburg, Hiram, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris and Porter.

Hastings said he and Jackson decided from the start to run positive campaigns. “It will be nice to campaign on some differences,” he said, referring to the coming race against Medd.

Both men campaigned hard, and agreed that the Cumberland County lakes region towns of Naples, Sebago and Bridgton, in favoring Hastings, made the difference in the race.

Jackson said he hadn’t counted on the high voter turnout in Bridgton, which had a three-way selectman’s race. Hastings garnered 352 votes in Bridgton to Jackson’s 161.

Hastings was favored in nine towns, while Jackson won in five. “That’s what happens when you enter a race,” said Jackson. “You know it could go either way.”

“I think Caldie is a real gentleman,” said Hastings. “Now let’s see if we can keep this seat in the Republican Party.”