Republican state Rep. Randy Vulakovich defeated two challengers in a special election Tuesday and will be the next state senator representing the 40th District in Harrisburg.

Jane Orie vacated that seat in May shortly before being sentenced to prison in a public corruption scandal involving her illegal of taxpayer funds.

Vulakovich, 62, will serve the district until the end of Orie's term in 2014. Then the 40th District will move to the eastern part of the state as part of the statewide legislative redistricting.

The three-time state representative from Shaler defeated Democratic challenger Sharon Brown, a 59-year-old health care consultant from McCandless, by winning 75 percent of the vote in Butler County to Brown's 23 percent.

Vulakovich also carried Allegheny County with 71 percent of the vote compared to Brown's 28 percent.

Both Vulakovich and Brown finished ahead of write-in candidate Don Bindas, a Franklin Park car salesman who labeled himself as an alternative conservative to Vulakovich.

It's unclear when Vulakovich will be sworn in to the seat, although the state Senate won't reconvene until Sept. 24. The swearing in will be scheduled by senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joe Scarnati.