Democrat Fred Clark, a political newcomer from Baraboo, will be the next representative of the 42nd Assembly District.

Clark will take over the Assembly seat held by J.A. "Doc" Hines, R-Oxford. Hines, a retired veterinarian, has held the seat since 2001.

Clark owns Clark Forestry, a forestry management and consulting service for landowners, government agencies and nonprofit groups.

Clark appeared elated after receiving a call from Hines conceding the race Tuesday night. Clark told the crowd, "Nobody saw this coming."

"We knew this was possible, though we knew there would be very long odds," Clark said in an interview at a celebration Democrats threw for Clark and other candidates at the Baraboo Arts Center.

Hines told him that he ran a good campaign, Clark said.

"He wished me well and said it was a good campaign. He said there was a lot of work to do in the district."

Clark thanked his volunteers for their work in the run-up to the election.

"Nothing that happened here is more significant than the 200-plus volunteers we had to help us," he said.

Clark said voters' ideas helped shape his campaign.

"In so many of the 5,000 or so conversations I had with people within this district, I heard about the things people wanted," he said.

Hines seemed somewhat surprised with the result.

"Well, I lost," Hines said from his Oxford home Tuesday night. "I'm kind of disappointed. I didn't think I would lose. I'm not bitter, I just thought I would do better than I did."

Hines credited his loss primarily to straight-party voting.

"As soon as voters go to the polls, they are asked if they want to vote a straight ticket," he said. "It's something real easy for voters to do. I'm not faulting the equipment, the system or the election workers, but (straight ticket) voting is something easy to do and so many people in the state were backing (Barack) Obama."

Hines also had another idea on why he lost.

"Maybe my age was a factor," he said. "Voters might have thought 'he's getting too old.'"

According to unofficial results, Hines is winning in Marquette County with 17 of 19 precincts reporting, 1,789 to 1,765.

"In Marquette County, I'm just ahead," he said. "This is a place that I have always done well in."

Clark defeated Hines in Columbia County, 6,100 to 4,259. Clark also carried Sauk County, 6,550 to 3,983.

The 42nd Assembly District includes northern Columbia County, including Portage, and Marquette County, as well as parts of Sauk and Adams counties.