COLUMBIA, S.C. - House Republicans elected state Rep. Jim Merrill of Daniel Island as their new majority leader Tuesday.

House Republican Caucus spokesman Jason Zacher would not disclose the vote tally between Merrill and Rep. Rex Rice of Easley, but said 65 of the 74 caucus members voted. Seneca Rep. Bill Sandifer withdrew from the race last week.

Rice says the election was close, but "wasn't close enough obviously."

"The important thing is who won, not if they won by 10 votes or by eight votes," House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, said he did not know the vote count, but races for that job are usually close.

"I think Jim Merrill will do a great job," Wilkins said.

Merrill, 37, becomes the fourth Republican majority leader for the House since a combination of party switching and success at the polls put the GOP in control of the Legislature's lower chamber in 1994. He replace Rep. Rick Quinn of Columbia. Quinn resigned from the position last month after losing a primary election for the seat he has held since 1989.

Merrill's campaign for the House political office came in the midst of running other political campaigns. The timing made the caucus election extremely difficult, Merrill said.

"The first thing on his plate is the election in 28 days," Wilkins said.

The new leadership role means Merrill, who has served in the House since 2001, will be responsible for protecting GOP incumbents from challengers and electing more Republicans to the House.

Merrill already does that through the Daniel Island consulting business he runs. Quinn was in that line of work, too, running a Columbia mailing business that catered to campaigns right next door to his father's political consulting firm.

Merrill is a veteran of statewide races. He was South Carolina director for U.S. Sen. John McCain's presidential primary bid in 2000. He switched to McCain after running former Vice President Dan Quayle's bid here after an eighth-place finish in Iowa's straw poll. In 1996, Merrill was state campaign manager for Texas Sen. Phil Gramm's presidential campaign. From 1992 to 1998, Merrill was the state GOP's political director.

The majority leadership position means Merrill will work closely with Wilkins.

"From what I understand, we're going to be joined at the hip," Merrill said.

Before the January-to-June session, Merrill will work with Wilkins, Republican committee chairmen and other House officers to develop a legislative agenda. He'll also appoint whips to round up votes through dealmaking, cajoling and pressuring members to move that agenda through the House when the session starts.