State Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown) faced off against Republican challenger Francis Stanton earlier this month in a debate for the 10th Middlesex District state representative seat.

Lawn, who is a former Watertown town councilor, was elected in 2011 after a special election to fill the seat formerly held by Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian. Koutoujian, who had served as state representative for more than a decade, was appointed to the sheriff position following the death of Sheriff James DiPaola. 

Stanton, a 24-year-old Waltham native, told Patch in April that he felt compelled to run for the seat to give "a choice for voters in November." 

The 10th Middlesex District covers just a small portion of Newton, including Ward 1, Precincts 1 and 4 and Ward 3, Precinct 4. It also covers parts of Watertown and Waltham.

The debate was moderated by the League of Women Voters and co-sponsored by the Newton League of Women Voters and NewTV, where it was filmed. You can watch the debate above or check it out on NewTV's website.