Sam Blakeslee, a San Luis Obispo financial planner and the former Republican leader of the California State Assembly, defeated Democrat John Laird in an Aug. 17 special election to fill the 15th District State Senate seat.

By shortly after midnight, with all of the votes counted except for some late absentee and provisional ballots, Blakeslee had 48.8 percent of the vote to Laird’s 44.1 percent.

The seat belonged to Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, until he was appointed earlier this year to the position of lieutenant governor. The district stretches from Northern Santa Barbara County to the Silicon Valley.

Blakeslee’s 33rd District Assembly seat will remain vacant until after the November election, which pits Republican Katcho Achadjian against Democrat Hilda Zacarias.