Topeka ? Gov. Sam Brownback said Friday that Republican voters made a “clear statement” in support of conservative candidates during the GOP primary.

In a brief comment to reporters, Brownback said when Republicans where given the choice between a conservative and a moderate-to-liberal candidate, they picked the conservative.

“I think that is what you had, is the market functioned on Tuesday,” he said.

Eight incumbent moderate Republican senators were defeated by conservative challengers backed by Brownback, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the billionaire Koch brothers and Kansans for Life.