Bruce Bannister and William Herlong topped the four-man field in Tuesday's House District 24 Republican primary and appear headed for an Aug. 30 runoff for the nomination.
Bannister, at 32, the youngest candidate, ran perhaps the most quiet of the campaigns and finished with 1,594 votes, or 39.74 percent, according to unofficial returns.
"People heard our message of lower taxes, education, property rights, and they responded to that," he said after addressing supporters in his downtown Greenville headquarters. "And a whole lot of work from a bunch of volunteers," he added.
Herlong, 46, a seven-year Greenville school trustee, had 1,038 votes, or 25.88 percent.
Because Bannister fell short of a majority, Herlong was expected to exercise his option to call for a runoff, to be held Aug. 30.