SUMMERVILLE — The Republican race to fill outgoing state Rep. Chris Murphy’s seat in the Legislature is going to a runoff primary Nov. 18 after the first round failed to produce a clear victor.

The two Nov. 4 GOP front-runners in House District 98 — North Charleston businessman Brian Hill and Air Force veteran Greg Ford — will face off again for the party nomination.

The winner will move on to face Democrat Sonja Ogletree Satani in a special election to fill the Republican-leaning seat on Jan. 6.

Hill finished roughly seven points short of the 50-percent-plus-one vote threshold needed to avoid the Nov. 18th run-off.

Hill led second-place finisher Ford by a 43 percent to 39 percent margin.

Daniel Johnston, the third-place candidate, earned 17 percent of the vote. Johnston, an attorney,

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