State Rep. Russell Holmes was re-elected on Tuesday as he dominated his Democratic challenger Haris Hassan Hardaway, winning 75 percent of the vote in the Sixth Suffolk district, which includes sections of Dorchester, Mattapan and Roslindale, and Hyde Park.

Holmes,a six term incumbent, was the heavy favorite in the primary election. He won all 20 precincts that constitute the House district.

Holmes said he hasn’t had a challenger in some time and having a challenger helped him to have to mobilize his campaign team and supporters.

“It made me have to work a muscle I haven’t worked,” he said. “Those muscles get flimsy when you don’t use them. Who knew we could raise $90,000 in four months? I didn’t know that, but that’s what we did. I thank Haris (Hardaway) for putting his name on the ballot. I’m better and the district is better because of it.”

He said mobilizing supporters and getting a ground game going for campaign season and Election Day was something voters in the district wanted to see from him.

“People want to see you and they wanted to see me out there,” he said. “Several people told me they wanted to see if I still wanted the job. I do want the job and I think they saw that.”

Hardaway, a Talbot Avenue resident and principal at HHH Strategic Consulting, earned 1,041 votes, according to unofficial statistics released by the City of Boston on Wednesday. Holmes ended the day with 4,284 votes.

Holmes, 52, first claimed the seat in 2010, beating out four other hopefuls to succeed Rep. Willie Mae Allen. In each of the next five elections, until this one, Holmes ran unchallenged for the seat. Along with his state representative post, Holmes also works as a certified financial planner with Baystate Financial Services.