A physician from Georgetown is now officially the next state senator for most of the region.

State Representative Charles Schwertner, a Republican, coasted to victory in Tuesday night's general election for Senate District 5. No Democrat ran for the office, and Schwertner easily defeated Libertarian Jeffrey Fox.

Schwertner has been representing Texas House District 20, but chose to run for the seat being vacated by the retiring Republican Senator Steve Ogden, one of the most powerful politicians in the state who has held the office since 1997.

Ogden -- from Bryan -- endorsed Schwertner for the Republican nomination. With 75 percent of the vote, Schwertner defeated Huntsville's Ben Bius in May's primary.

State Senate District 5 covers ten counties: Brazos, Freestone, Grimes, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Walker, and Schwertner's home Williamson County.

State Senator Glenn Hegar was unopposed for District 18, which represents Burleson, Washington and all or some of 17 other counties stretching to the Gulf coast. The Republican from Katy has been in the office since 2006.

There are 31 senators representing the state. A full term is four years.

The next legislative session begins in January.