Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, watches as Gov. Sam Brownback delivers his State of the State address at the Kansas State Capital on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015.

Republican Rep. Tom Sloan appeared to be headed toward re-election Tuesday night against Democratic challenger Terry Manies.

Unofficial returns Tuesday night showed Sloan had defeated Manies, 55-45 percent.

Manies, who was making her first run for public office, was one of the few Democrats this year to challenge an incumbent moderate Republican. Sloan is completing his 11th term in the House, and in recent years he has frequently been at odds with conservative GOP leaders on issues such as tax policy and expanding Medicaid.

Sloan currently serves as vice chair of the Vision 2020 Committee, which is charged with studying long-term planning issues for the state. He had been chairman of that committee but was removed last year by House Speaker Ray Merrick after the committee endorsed a Medicaid expansion bill that never reached the floor of the House.