NEWPORT — The House seat of the late Paul W. Crowley, the longest-serving Democrat in the General Assembly, will now be held by a Republican newcomer.

In yesterday’s special election to fill Crowley’s vacant seat, Republican Steven J. Coaty, a lawyer making his first bid for public office in Rhode Island, handily defeated Democrat and former state Sen. J. Clement “Bud” Cicilline.

“We had a very successful night. We had a very nice victory,” said Coaty, moments before taking a congratulatory call from the state’s top Republican, Governor Carcieri.

Coaty said he waged an energetic campaign and was reluctant to call his victory an upset. But he did acknowledge that “conventional wisdom” was that Cicilline’s political experience, name recognition and support from the Democratic establishment made him a “shoo-in” to return him to the General Assembly.

Coaty defeated Cicilline 872 to 511, with 53 mail ballots still to be counted, in the race in Newport’s District 75, according to preliminary results from Newport’s Board of Canvassers

While long-time Newporter Cicilline supported expanding the sales tax to more goods and cautioned against cuts that would harm the disadvantaged, newcomer Coaty emphasized that he would seek to cut state spending and would not raise any taxes.

“We got our message out. People in the city of Newport are very concerned about the state of the fiscal crisis that we are facing,” he said, adding that residents “are sick and tired of one-party rule.”

Coaty, 47, is an attorney with a practice in Middletown, which he established after a 10-year career as a Navy JAG. Cicilline, 67, is the president and CEO of the nonprofit Newport County Community Mental Health Center.

Crowley, the longest-serving Democrat in the General Assembly, died on Sept. 24 after a long struggle with melanoma. He had served in the House for 27 consecutive years.

rsalit@projo.com