Mark Buhler, a former Douglas County commissioner, was elected Tuesday night by fellow Republicans to be Lawrence’s state senator for the next two years.

Buhler, who will be sworn in to office in January when the Kansas Legislature meets for its 2003 session, was elected on the first ballot by the Douglas County Republican Central Committee.

Buhler will fill the remaining two years of the four-year term of Sen. Sandy Praeger,R-Lawrence, who was elected Nov. 5 as state insurance commissioner.

“We’re a party of a bunch of people. Let’s all remember we’re Republicans and we’ll go get the other guys later,” Buhler said after the vote, trying to unite the GOP party operatives against local Democrats.

Of the 91 ballots cast at the meeting, Buhler received 47 votes, which was one more than was needed to receive a majority.

State Rep. Tom Sloan, who actively campaigned for the seat, received 39 votes. John Watkins, a long-time GOP operative, received five votes.

Richard Rodewald, a retired engineer who also sought the seat, was not nominated. Voting was conducted by write-in ballot. Ninety-three of the 96 members of the central committee who represent precincts in the Kansas Senate’s 2nd District were eligible to vote.

The meeting, which was held in Building 21 at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, took about 30 minutes.

For more on this story, watch the 6News 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. report on Sunflower Broadband’s cable Channel 6 and pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Lawrence Journal-World.