Conservative Republican allies of Gov. Sam Brownback lost a number of key races in Tuesday’s primary, diminishing the control they have had over the Kansas House and Senate.

Although it was too early to tell late Tuesday how severe the losses were because some counties had not reported full returns to the Secretary of State’s website late Tuesday, it was clear they took heavy losses in Johnson County and elsewhere.

Among the conservatives losing was Sen. Jeff Melcher, R-Leawood, who fell to his moderate challenger, John Skubal, 44-56 percent.

Sen. Greg Smith of Overland Park also lost to a moderate challenger, Dinah Sykes, 58-42 percent.

And on the House side, four notable conservatives from Johnson County also lost their primaries to more moderate candidates: Reps. Craig McPherson; Brett Hildabrand, Rob Bruchman and Charles Macheers.

Another closely watched race was in Reno County where Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce was trailing his challenger, Edward E. Berger, 37-63 percent with fewer than half of the precincts reporting by 10:30 p.m.

In Sedgwick County, conservatives appeared to be having more luck.

Sen. Ty Masterson of Andover, who chairs the powerful Ways and Means Committee, was well ahead of his challenger, Troy E. Tabor II, 59-41 percent with 40 out of 42 precincts reporting.

And Rep. Gene Suellentrop, running to fill a Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of Sen. Les Donovan, was barely ahead of his challenger Lori Graham, 50-49 percent, a margin of 105 votes.

But in southwest Kansas, Rep. John Doll, a moderate from Garden City, appeared to have unseated conservative Sen. Larry Powell, 56-44 percent, with 80 of 102 precincts reporting.

Together, moderate Republicans and Democrats need to gain about 15 seats in the Kansas House to gain back the kind of working majority they enjoyed during the Bill Graves and Kathleen Sebelius administrations, but it was still too early late Tuesday to determine how much progress they made toward that goal.