CHARLES TOWN – Voters in the state’s 57th House of Delegates district returned John Doyle, a Democrat, to the Legislature for an 11th two-year term.

Doyle won re-election by 564 votes over his Republican challenger, Elliot Simon, in Tuesday’s general election.

“I am extremely happy,” Doyle said by phone Tuesday evening. “The last time I had an election like this was in 1994, when I won 53 percent to 47 percent.”

Doyle, 68, of Shepherdstown, got 3,640 votes, or about 54 percent, to Simon’s 3,076 votes, or about 46 percent.

A total of 6,723 votes were cast in the 57th Delegate race, including seven write-ins.

The district encompasses the northern tier of Jefferson County including Shepherdstown, Harpers Ferry, Bolivar and communities on the Blue Ridge Mountain.

Doyle was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1982 for one two-year term, losing his bid for re-election in 1984. He was returned to the House by voters in 1992 and has served for nine consecutive terms.

“I’m really happy with the result,” Doyle said from Jefferson County Democrat Party headquarters in Charles Town. “I thought it would be closer. I thought it could go the other way considering the Republican wave in the country.”

Local races are affected by national races, he added.

“As far down on the ballot delegate races are, we are at the mercy of the national races,” Doyle said.

A retired corporate travel executive, Simon was making his first attempt at public office. He originally is from New York City and has lived in Jefferson County since 2002.

Simon, 56, of Harpers Ferry, was not available for comment Tuesday night.

Voter turnout in Jefferson County was about 47 percent.

Vote counts from Tuesday night’s returns are unofficial until certified by the Jefferson County Commission sitting as the board of canvass. Canvassing starts Monday.