Tyson, R-Parker, defeated her Democratic challenger handily, garnering 65 percent of the votes, according to unofficial results from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office.
Tyson’s opponent, Denise Cassells, D-Mound City, reportedly received 35 percent of the total votes in Senate District 12.
“We’re excited about the win. Looking forward to getting to work,” Tyson said Wednesday, adding she and her staff are picking up campaign signs to close out the campaign.
When she takes office in January, Tyson said, she plans to address the wasteful spending and work to streamline the budget process in the state Legislature.
“One of the things that I campaigned on is the wasteful spending,” she said. “We really need to address the budget process itself.”
The newly-formed Senate District 12 encompasses Allen, Anderson, Franklin, Linn and parts of Bourbon and Miami counties. Though a voting machine problem caused officials in Linn County to hand-count ballots, preliminary results put Tyson up by more than twice the number of votes of her challenger — a deficit Cassells is unlikely to beat.
Tyson said she was impressed by Cassells’ decorum on the campaign trail.
Sixty-five percent seems to be a recurring theme for Tyson after Tuesday night. She took more than 65 percent of the votes in Franklin County with 6,791. Meanwhile, Tyson also won Allen County with 65 percent of the votes and 64 percent in both Anderson and Miami counties. Rounding out the set, Tyson defeated Cassells in Bourbon County with 69 percent of the vote, versus Cassells’ 31 percent.
“Very appreciative of the support that we got, and I look forward working with people on all the issues that impact the 12th District,” Tyson said.