Republican Leslie Farr has lost his bid to get his party’s nomination for a second run against Congressman Lacy Clay in the 1st District. Mark J. Byrne easily defeated Farr, who had recently become at odds with several leaders of his party, with 73% of the vote to Farr’s 15%.

State Rep. Sherman Parker, who had been the State House’s sole black Republican, has lost his bid against incumbent Congressman Todd Akin in the 2nd District. Parker’s candidacy was always considered a longshot at best, but an arrest just a week before the election made his victory nearly impossible. Parker got just 12% of the vote yesterday.