Topeka ? It was at the 11th hour that Rep. Anthony Brown, of Eudora, and J.C. Tellefson, of Leavenworth, were campaigning in the Republican primary race for the Kansas Senate 3rd District seat.

Both were walking in the Leavenworth County Fair Parade through downtown Tonganoxie about the time polls were closing Tuesday.

Brown, though, will be the only one marching on to the general election.

The state representative took 68 percent of the vote (3,111 to 1,434) with all 43 precincts reporting. The results are unofficial until the state canvasses the votes.

Brown said Tellefson was a “complete gentleman” and ran a clean campaign. He said he plans to approach Tellefson about uniting campaigns later this week.

Tuesday evening, Brown was meeting with supporters about campaign sign locations and other strategies.

As he moves on to face another Leavenworth County Fair participant, incumbent Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, Brown said job growth was his top priority.

“We have to get back to work,” Brown said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s Wyandotte or Leavenworth or Douglas counties or somewhere out west — people want jobs and want to get back to work, and that’s what we have to focus on.”

Tellefson said he was disappointed that he, the more moderate choice on the ballot, did not win the election. He’s concerned about what a conservative-controlled House and Senate, as well as a conservative governor, could mean for the state. He pointed to the Affordable Care Act becoming a reality on the national level with a Democrat-controlled House and Senate and Democratic president.

“Now we’ll see how that is in Kansas,” Tellefson said.

As for working with Brown, Tellefson said he would be open to meeting with him but said he would like to focus on his family after a hectic two months of campaigning.

“I think that Anthony has demonstrated he has a huge network of supporters willing to go out and work for him,” Tellefson said.

Brown reported raising $20,875 from Jan. 1 through this past Thursday, while J.C. Tellefson reported raising $2,427 in that span.

— Shawn Linenberger, news editor at The (Tonganoxie) Mirror, can be reached at 913-845-2222.