Republican Sam Brownback is returning home

to be governor of Kansas after 16 years in Washington.

Brownback has defeated Democratic state Sen. Tom Holland in his

bid to reclaim the office that Democrats held the past eight years.

Trailing Brownback and Holland were Libertarian Andrew Gray and

the Reform Party’s Ken Cannon.

Brownback replaces Gov. Mark Parkinson, who assumed the job in

2009 when then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius resigned to become secretary

of U.S. Health and Human Services.

Brownback will take office in January and will work with the

Republican-controlled Legislature to revive the state’s lagging

economy and shaky budget status.

Republican Congressman Jerry Moran has won

the U.S. Senate race in Kansas, easily beating his novice

Democratic opponent.

Moran had a big advantage over first-time candidate Lisa

Johnston in the GOP-leaning state. A Democrat hasn’t won a Senate

election in Kansas since 1932.

The 56-year-old Moran, from Hays, also easily tapped into many

voters’ discontent with President Barack Obama and Democrats over

the economy and the federal health care law.