Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Kansas Republicans have failed to unseat a Democratic state senator ran unsuccessfully for governor two years ago.

Sen. Tom Holland of Baldwin City defeated conservative Republican state Rep. Anthony Brown of Eudora in Tuesday's election in the 3rd Senate District of northeast Kansas. The GOP had seen Holland's race as one of its best opportunities for picking up a Senate seat.

Holland was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2010, losing handily to conservative Republican Sam Brownback. He is a vocal critic of Brownback's policies, including aggressive income tax cuts this year seen by critics as likely to cause major budget problems.

Brown has sometimes criticized the governor for not being conservative enough. He is chairman of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee.