Pending a canvass of Tuesday’s election results, voters have overwhelmingly returned Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, to Topeka.

Billinger, a former state representative, outpaced Hays Democrat Alex Herman in the 40th District Senate race by a 66 percent to 35 percent margin.

Billinger earned 11,916 votes to Herman’s 6,280.

In Ellis County, the vote tally was 6,530 for Billinger and 4,965 for Herman, 56.79% to 43.18%.

He will take the seat of longtime state Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell, who announced his retirement this fall shortly before the primary filing deadline.