Former Montgomery County Probate Judge Reese McKinney and state lawmaker John Merrill will meet in a runoff to decide who will receive the Republican nomination for secretary of state.

McKinney received 40 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s primary, while Merrill garnered 22 percent of the vote.

Crenshaw County Probate Judge Jim Perdue finished in third place. He received 22 percent of the vote statewide.

“We hope the people who supported (Perdue) would be on our team and consider us as their No. 2 choice and support our candidacy in the runoff and help us get over the top with the victory on July 15,” Merrill told the Tuscaloosa News.

There was no incumbent in the race for the office.

Jim Bennett currently serves as the secretary of state. He was appointed to finish the unexpired term of Greenville native Beth Chapman who resigned in 2013 to accept a position with the Alabama Farmers Federation.

deration.

A runoff election will be held July 15 to find out who represent the GOP in the general election.

The Republican nominee will face Democrat Lula Albert-Kaigler in the general election Nov. 4.