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TOPEKA — Tuesday's election produced some notable wins for conservatives in Kansas GOP primary races that were considered up for grabs.

State Sen. Tim Huelskamp of Fowler won his bid to represent the sprawling 1st Congressional District, easily defeating Senate colleague Jim Barnett of Emporia and Tracy Mann of Salina, the next two top vote getters in a six-way race.

Geography may have helped his edge. Huelskamp, one of the staunchest conservatives in the Kansas Senate, was the best known candidate from the west of a district that stretches from the Colorado line into the eastern folds of the Flint Hills. Barnett and Mann did well in and close to their home counties but Huelskamp overwhelmingly prevailed in the western precincts and also won as far east as Dickinson County.

Huelskamp will face Democrat Alan Jilka, a former Salina mayor, in the November general election.

Secretary of State candidate Kris Kobach, a former state GOP party chairman, used the unlikely issues of voter fraud and illegal immigration to trump Elizabeth "Libby" Ensley and J.R. Claeys, each of whom ran more conventional campaigns for a statewide office that has generally attracted little attention because it oversees some of the most mundane facets of state government, including elections and corporate filings.

Kobach, who has some national notoriety for helping author Arizona's controversial, new immigration enforcement law, has promised to make the office focus more on enforcement issues. Ensley, an experienced county elections officer, emphasized the office's ministerial duties. So did Claeys.

In Kansas House GOP races there were a few upsets.

Former House Speaker Melvin Neufeld of Ingalls, one of the Legislature's longest serving members, was trounced 2 to 1 by political novice Garrett Love. House incumbents Deena Horst of Salina, John Faber of Brewster, and Jill Quigley of Lenexa were each defeated. Horst lost to Tom Arpke also of Salina and Quigley fell to Kelly Meigs. Faber was beat by Ward Cassidy, a St. Francis school counselor.

Incumbent Kansas Rep. Sheryl Spalding, a moderate, barely squeaked by challenger Richard Downing in a race close enough to excite a recount challenge.

Some House incumbents thought by Topeka political professionals to have strong challengers, in fact, did not.

Among those falsely thought to have been threatened were Rep. Bob Brookens of Marion and Tom Moxley of Council Grove.

In one of the most closely watched races nationally, 1st District Congressman Jerry Moran edged out 4th District Congressman Todd Tiahrt in the tooth-and-nail battle to succeed Sam Brownback in the U.S. Senate. Moran, for most of his political career, has been considered in the GOP moderate camp. But the primary battle was a contest of who could call themselves the most conservative and Moran won probably thanks to the fact that he began quietly campaigning for the job much sooner and so developed greater statewide recognition.

Brownback, as expected, cakewalked through his gubernatorial primary against the relatively unknown Joan Heffington.

Republican political operative Mike Pompeo won the nod in the GOP 4th Congressional District race. His two closest challengers were Wichita businessman Wink Hartman and State Sen. Jean Schodorf.

Pompeo now must beat State Rep. Raj Goyle, a Democrat, to keep the seat Republican.

House Appropriations Chairman Kevin Yoder of Overland Park easily beat all in a field of nine GOP hopefuls in the 3rd Congressional District race, including fellow conservative and former state legislator Patricia Lightner.

Prominent incumbents Sandy Praeger, state insurance commissioner, and 2nd District Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, easily won their primaries.

Jenkins faces a general election challenge from Democrat Cheryl Hudspeth of Girard.

State Sen. Derek Schmidt of Independence, as expected, won Republican approval to challenge incumbent Attorney General Steve Six, a Democrat.

Kansas is a Republican state and the Democratic primaries were typically less busy and interesting.

Incumbent Secretary of State Chris Biggs defeated State Sen. Chris Steineger in the Secretary of State race.

Stephene Moore, as expected, won her party's nomination to replace her husband Dennis Moore in the 3rd Congressional District seat.

Lisa Johnston, an administrator at Baker University in Baldwin City, won approval from her party to challenge Moran for the U.S. Senate seat in the November general election.

More complete election results, county by county, can be found at the Secretary of State's web site.