Democrat Joan Lovely, after 15 years on the Salem City Council, won herself a seat on Beacon Hill Tuesday night.

In a landslide victory, Lovely defeated Beverly Republican Richard Jolitz for the 2nd Essex District seat in the Massachusetts Senate, according to results from the Associated Press.

With 59 percent of the votes reporting at 10 p.m., projected winner Lovely defeated Jolitz 72 percent to 28 percent.

The hardest phase of the campaign for Lovely was undoubtedly the party primary in September where she faced off against two experienced North Shore politicians – former state Rep. John Slattery and Governor’s Councilor Mary-Ellen Manning – and a newcomer to the scene, Ed Carroll.

Months of knocking on doors across the district paid off for Lovely, who won the primary in a landslide with 50 percent of the vote.

Lovely then prepared to face Jolitz in the general election. Jolitz, who has never held political office before, likewise lost handily to Peabody’s Fred Berry in 2010.

Berry announced last November that he would be retiring at the end of this year after 30 years in the Senate, representing Peabody, Salem, Beverly, Danvers and Topsfield.