Progressives scored a significant win in Cranston on Nov. 3 – although events that unfolded after the results were known highlight an ongoing tension within the state’s Democratic Party.

Brandon Potter, who defeated incumbent House District 16 Rep. Christopher Millea in September’s Democratic primary, has won a two-year term in the General Assembly with a victory over Republican Maryann Lancia.

The 36-year-old first-time candidate received 4,142 votes, or nearly 54 percent, to Lancia’s 3,558, or roughly 46 percent, based on unofficial tallies as of Tuesday.

Like other Democratic candidates, he fell short in the Election Day voting, which Lancia carried by a count of a 1,996-1,412. But he received the most the mail ballots by a significant margin, 1,806-793, and earned the most early in-person votes, 924-769, to post a decisive overall win.

“I think it just speaks volumes to how a progressive candidate can actually get elected in a quote-unquote purple district,” Potter said in an interview Monday. “How you find the common ground with people, how you connect to their everyday lives and what they’re actually concerned about, and how you translate that to your policy.”

The results in neighboring District 15, where Republican Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung defeated Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, had an immediate impact for Potter as lawmakers gathered to select a new leader for the coming term.

Potter was among the more than 50 incoming representatives to support Warwick Rep. K. Shekarchi, who currently serves as House majority leader, as the next speaker during a Nov. 5 meeting of the new Democratic House caucus.

Shortly after that vote, the Rhode Island Political Cooperative – a group of progressive candidates that had endorsed Potter and trumpeted his victory – wrote on Twitter that it had ended its association with the District 16 representative-elect.

The tweet reads: “Tonight, the House Democratic Caucus voted to nominate the next Speaker. [Potter] voted for Joe Shekarchi, Mattiello’s number 2 and part of his leadership team. The Co-op ran on getting new leadership in the GA, therefore Brandon is no longer associated with the Co-op.”

On Monday, Potter said he expected that action from the Political Cooperative “because it was conveyed to me immediately before casting that vote that that would be the outcome.”

“And I was OK with that, because ultimately I promised the voters in our district that I would be independent, and I would exercise my judgment in every situation, and I wouldn’t be beholden to any one group, special interest or party leader,” he said.

He added: “I made the decision that I thought was the appropriate decision to actually get things accomplished. And I think we all really need to take a deep breath and realize that election season is over. There’s an awful lot of work, serious work, urgent work, that has to get done.”

Asked if he had received pushback from any other supporters based on his vote for Shekarchi, Potter said: “I haven’t received any negative feedback from anyone other than that tweet.”

He described his conversations with Shekarchi as “very refreshing,” and said Providence Rep. Christopher Blazejewski, who Shekarchi has tapped to be the new majority leader, will be the “most progressive majority leader that our state has ever had, once he takes that position.” He said he spoke with Shekarchi about “the need for transparent and open government.”

“Joe Shekarchi is not Nick Mattiello. And ultimately, my vote was not the deciding vote … I made a vote in an effort and a gesture of good faith that I want to work with this leadership team, because they’re the inevitable leadership team, and we have to get to work,” he said. “The urgency and the importance of actually resolving these issues is more important to me than making symbolic gestures and taking a stance.”

He added: “It’s a time for a fresh start, and I think we should all approach one another with good faith.”