Republican Chuck Williams and Democrat Dan Matthews will meet in a runoff for an open seat in the state House of Representatives.

Williams, an Oconee County tree farmer and former banker, led the field of four candidates in a special election Tuesday with 39 percent of the 3,920 votes cast for the northeast Georgia seat.

Matthews, a longtime Oconee County Democratic activist, finished second with 27 percent.

Another Republican, Gainesville State College professor Sarah Bell, finished third with 18 percent of the vote.

The runoff will be held on July 19.

The candidates were running to replace former Rep. Hank Huckaby, R-Athens, who resigned to become University System of Georgia chancellor.

Tags: Georgia, northeast Georgia, special election, runoff election, Oconee County, Hank Huckaby, District 113, Chuck Williams, Dan Matthews