In this file photo from June 2016, Kansas Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley, of Topeka, fended off a challenge Tuesday night, defeating Republican Zach Haney, 57-43 percent.

Hensley has served 40 years in the Kansas Legislature, making him the longest-serving elected official in the Statehouse. Haney is a high school graduate who has grabbed attention within business circles for starting his own business and becoming an author.

According to unofficial election returns, Hensley outdistanced Haney by fewer than 4,000 votes, a closer margin than many had expected in that race. But Hensley had devoted most of the campaign to helping other Democrats get elected to the Senate in a year when Democrats were widely expected to gain seats.

Hensley is not expected to face a challenge for another term as minority leader in the Senate.