Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, left, and Gov. Sam Brownback with his wife Mary at his side, celebrate winning in Tuesday's mid-term election during a GOP Clean Sweep party Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 in Topeka.

Kansas Republican candidates on Tuesday went on an historic sweep of victories in a campaign that focused on opposition to President Barack Obama.

“A clean sweep for a new beginning,” said Gov.-elect Sam Brownback. “No more Obama way. Now let’s go the Kansas way,” Brownback old about 300 people at the Republican Party celebration at the Capitol Plaza Hotel.

Brownback took the stage at 10 p.m. with his wife, Mary, and three of his five children. Lt. Gov.-elect Jeff Colyer and his family joined him.

“We still believe in American exceptionalism,” Brownback said, adding that Kansas “is the heart of it.”

Brownback told his supporters, “Have a great time tonight. The work begins tomorrow.”

Democratic candidate Tom Holland, a state senator from Baldwin City, called Brownback earlier and congratulated him.

“In Congress, Senator Brownback has been a consistent advocate for human rights in Darfur, North Korea and around the globe,” Holland said. “He’s shown the world the compassion that all Kansans have for those in need.”

Brownback was leading Holland 63 percent to 33 percent.

Earlier, U.S. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who was not on the ballot, said “With Kansas leading the way tonight, we are going to get our America back.”

Referring to Obama, Roberts said, “Yes he can? No he won’t.”

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, who ran unopposed in winning a third term, said she was looking forward to working alongside a Republican governor.

“He wants to grow the economy,” Praeger, a former Lawrence mayor and legislator, said of Brownback.

Brownback, attorney general-elect Derek Schmidt, secretary of state-elect Kris Kobach, treasurer-elect Ron Estes and Praeger were throwing the first GOP shutout of statewide offices since 1964.

Brownback will become the first social conservative Republican governor in state history.

Mark Parkinson, the former lieutenant governor who was elevated to the governor’s office in 2009 when former governor Kathleen Sebelius joined Obama’s cabinet, decided not to run.

10:25 p.m. update

Gov.-elect Sam Brownback on Tuesday told a cheering crowd that Republican victories Tuesday were a repudiation of President Barack Obama.

“A clean sweep for a new beginning,” Brownback said. “No more Obama way. Now let’s go the Kansas way,” he said.

Brownback took the stage at 10 p.m. with his wife, Mary, and three of his five children. Lt. Gov.-elect Jeff Colyer and his family joined him.

“We still believe in American exceptionalism,” Brownback said, adding that Kansas “is the heart of it.”

Brownback told his supporters, “Have a great time tonight. The work begins tomorrow.”

Democratic candidate Tom Holland called Brownback earlier and congratulated him.

“In Congress, Senator Brownback has been a consistent advocate for human rights in Darfur, North Korea and around the globe,” Holland said. “He’s shown the world the compassion that all Kansans have for those in need.”

8:12 p.m. update

TOPEKA — After 16 years in Washington, Republican Sam Brownback is coming home to be governor of Kansas.

Brownback on Tuesday defeated Democratic state Sen. Tom Holland to reclaim the office held by Democrats for the past eight years.

Brownback replaces Gov. Mark Parkinson who assumed the job in 2009 when then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius resigned to become secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services.

Holland and Brownback focused on the economy during campaigns, offering differing views on how to make Kansas government more efficient and reduce the state’s unemployment rate, currently at 6.6 percent.

That rate is down from 7 percent in September 2009, but job creation has been slow to develop. Uncertainty remains, including the future of Wichita aviation manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft. The general aviation firm is restructuring its operations in an effort to be more efficient and maintain as many of its 6,000 jobs in Kansas as possible.

Joshua Spell, a 29-year-old postal worker in Wichita favored the Democrats on his ballot, but voted for Brownback. He said he didn’t know much about the Democratic candidate in the governor’s race. He said that as a senator, Brownback seemed “to put Kansas first” whether it was a Republican or Democratic issue.

“I think he will do a wonderful job as governor,” said Spell, adding he voted against his union recommendation in that race.

Brownback, a fiscal and social conservative, campaigned on creating a better business climate, freezing government spending and repealing laws and regulations impeding growth. His platform is likely to receive a warm reception from a Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature.

Holland’s message focused on growing jobs in renewable energy, biosciences and health care. He said Kansas has emerged as a leader in those areas and is poised for more expansion.

Brownback will be faced with a fiscal challenge right from the start. A group of economists and researchers gave a fiscal forecast for the remainder of the current fiscal year and next, showing the shortfall could be as large as $500 million in 2012. That’s despite a 1-cent increase in the sales tax rate that took effect in July.

8:07 p.m. update

From the Associated Press: Sam Brownback, GOP, elected Governor, Kansas.

8:02 p.m. update

Brownback still leads the race with 62.1 percent of the vote, which is more than 50,000 votes.

Holland has 34.9 percent.

7:52 p.m. update

The gap between Brownback and Holland has narrowed considerably.

Brownback currently has 55.2 percent of the vote, and Holland has 40 percent.

7:42 p.m. update

Sam Brownback is leading the race, although by a smaller margin than earlier with 68 percent of the vote.

Tom Holland has gained a few votes and has 27.6 percent. Both other candidates are at 2.2 percent.

7:15 p.m. update

Early results show Republican candidate Sam Brownback leading the race with 73.6 percent of the votes.

Tom Holland has 21.6 percent of the vote. Both Ken Cannon and Andrew Gray have less than 3 percent of the votes.

8:45 a.m. update

Republican Sam Brownback in August offered Kansas voters a road map for putting the state’s economy and government on what he saw as the right track.

On Tuesday, Brownback learns if voters liked his direction or instead will follow Democratic state Sen. Tom Holland for the next four years.

Brownback outspent Holland almost 4-1. The winner replaces Democrat Gov. Mark Parkinson in January.

The race is one of 37 across the country where state voters will choose their next chief executive.

Both candidates made reviving the economy the focal point of their campaigns, offering differing views on how to make Kansas government more efficient and reduce the state’s unemployment rate, currently at 6.6 percent.

That rate is down from 7 percent in September 2009, but job creation has been slow to develop. Uncertainty remains, including the future of Wichita aviation manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft. The general aviation firm is restructuring its operations in an effort to be more efficient and maintain as many of its 6,000 jobs in Kansas as possible.

Brownback has campaigned on creating a better business climate, including freezing government spending and establishing an office focused on repealing laws and regulations impeding growth. His platform would likely receive a warm reception from Republicans who control both chambers of the Kansas Legislature.

Holland’s message has focused on growing jobs in renewable energy, biosciences and health care, saying Kansas has emerged as a leader in those areas and is poised for more expansion. He also intends to keep the state’s commitments to funding education.

Early projections are that Kansas will face a budget gap of some $300 million, despite a 1-cent increase in the sales tax rate in July.