Voters in Clinton and Ionia counties went to the polls Tuesday to take their first step in finding their new state representative.

In the special primary, the citizens narrowed the GOP side of the ticket from six candidates to one.

Clinton County Commissioner Scott Hummel was that one. Tallies showed he led the competition with more than 41 percent of the vote - about 11 percentage points in front of his closest competitor.

More than 7,730 residents turned out Tuesday.

Hummel will now face off against Roger Sosebee, D-St. Johns, during the July 10 special general election for the 86th state House district.

The winner of that contest will go on to occupy former state Rep. Valde Garcia’s House seat.

Garcia, R-St. Johns, was elected March 20 to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Brighton Republican Mike Rogers, who was elected to Congress last year.

Sosebee said he was keeping tabs on Tuesday’s Republican primary but didn’t care who won because he felt the GOP slate was filled with virtually similar characters.

“I’m rooting for me and that’s the bottom line,” he said.

But the odds appear to be stacked against Sosebee in a district known to be heavily Republican.

“Let’s put it this way,” said Bill Ballenger, editor of Inside Michigan Politics. “For (Sosebee) to win, the sun, the moon and the stars would have to be aligned perfectly - and they aren’t.”

But Hummel, of DeWitt, isn’t quick to pack his bags for the state Capitol.

“Let’s just say that we have one step behind us and we got one more to go,” he said Tuesday evening. “I am very confident with tonight’s totals that we can win this thing if we keep this momentum.”

And despite his area’s voting history, Sosebee isn’t counting himself out.

“I feel the last few people we’ve elected from this district have turned their backs on us once in office,” he said. “They seem to represent Grand Rapids now. I’m pretty sure there are enough others who feel the same way.”