Topeka ? Former Kansas House Speaker Melvin Neufeld has lost his bid for re-election.

Neufeld was defeated in Tuesday’s Republican primary by Garrett Love, of Montezuma, in the 115th House District of western Kansas. The margin was more than 1,000 votes according to final, unofficial results.

Neufeld, of Ingalls, was first elected to the House in 1984 and served until losing in 1988. Voters returned him to the House in 1990, and he served as speaker in 2007 and 2008.

He has been considered among the leaders of the conservative Republicans in the Statehouse.