State Rep. Kevin Ryan, D-Montville, fended off Republican challenger Mark Adams for a second time on Tuesday to win his 17th term in office.

The Secretary of the State’s Office shows Ryan secured more than 55% of the votes in a district that covers portions of Montville, Norwich and Ledyard. Unofficial vote totals show Ryan beat Adams 5,904 to 4,738, a wider margin than in the 2022 election. Ryan was cross endorsed by the Working Families and Independent parties.

Ryan, 72, a longtime Montville resident, retains a seat he has held for three decades. He first won his seat in the state House of Representatives in 1993. He had previously served as the chairman of the Montville Board of Education.

Norwich Democrat Bryan Sanchi, who met voters outside the Rose City Senior Center in Norwich on Tuesday night with signs supporting Democratic candidates, said Ryan has never been a flashy candidate.

“He’s not out there with catch phrases or things other candidates do. He’s out there doing his job, the day-to-day, like the people he represents,” Sanchi said.

Ryan is a former teacher and optometrist who now works as an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven.

The race had been too close to call late Tuesday because early vote totals were unavailable from Norwich and Ledyard. Adams, a security officer at Connecticut College, said he had done his best to get his message out to voters seeking a change in the district.