(Published June 8‚ 2004)

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Former South Carolina U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis is poised to return to Washington, representing the same 4th District he did in the 1990s, after winning Tuesday's Republican primary.

The seat opened up as Republican U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint honored a three-term limit pledge and ran for U.S. Senate.

The heavily Republican Upstate district, which DeMint last won in 2002 with 69 percent of the vote, brought out three GOP contenders and two Democrats.

Only Inglis could claim he had actual experience in the job. He held the seat for three terms before honoring his own term limits pledge and stepping down in 1999.

That was persuasive for Charles Williams, 70, of Simpsonville. "Inglis was the man. He has proven himself," Williams said.

"He knows what he's doing," Nona Janowski, 45, of Greer said of Inglis. "That was a no-brainer."

In unofficial results Tuesday night, Inglis had 85 percent of the vote. Contenders Carole Wells followed with 10 percent and Jack Adams with 4 percent.

The 4th District was the most interesting primary for Democrats and Republicans.

On the Democratic side, Brandon Brown defeated Andrew Wittman, 57 percent to 43 percent.

Despite the conservative leanings in the Upstate, Inglis said he knows that he has a contest ahead of him to win the office in November.

"Neither I nor my party own this district or any other district. We've got to compete and win confidence one vote at a time," he said.

Contests elsewhere involved unchallenged incumbents and several perennial candidates who faced long odds Tuesday.

- In the 1st District, two men with ties to grocery chains squared off again. Two years ago, Reform Party candidate Bob Batchelder of Myrtle Beach, who works at a Winn Dixie, ran unsuccessfully against Republican Rep. Henry Brown, a retired Piggly Wiggly executive. On Tuesday, Brown beat Batchelder in the GOP primary, 83 percent to 17 percent. Brown faces Garden City marriage counselor James Dunn, who is running on the Green Party and United Citizens tickets.

- In the 2nd District, Republican Rep. Joe Wilson had no primary opponent and will face Democrat Ray Ellisor and the Constitution Party's Steve Lefemine in November.

- In the 3rd District, Republican Rep. Gresham Barrett was unopposed.

- In the 5th District, Democratic Rep. John Spratt will face Republican Albert Spencer, Gaffney resident and Limestone College physical education professor, this fall.

- In the 6th District, perennial candidate Gary McLeod of Manning got 79 percent of the vote, beating newcomer Mike Reino of Florence with 21 percent in the Republican primary. McLeod also is running as a Libertarian and Constitution Party candidate, hoping to blend those votes in his biennial attempt to unseat Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn in November.