OCALA, Fla. - Marion County Republican voters in House District 24 cast their ballots in a special primary election Tuesday, to select a candidate to replace state Rep. Joe Harding, who resigned after being charged with wire fraud.

Ryan Chamberlin won the GOP primary with 36% of the vote against four other candidates.

Before the polls closed, ifetime Ocala resident Larry Sutton made sure cast his ballot.

"I always make it a point to vote," he said.

Voting at one of the busiest polling precinct, Sutton said he wondered how many eligible voters would actually turn up.

"It’s going to be obvious, just from the few people that were here, that there is going to be a smaller turnout," he said.

Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox said that to his surprise, voter turnout exceeded his expectations.

"Turnout started very slowly. But by 9:30-10 a.m. it started to pick up," he said. "So the hours we’re doing now are double what we were doing this morning, which isn’t normal for Marion County."

Sutton told Spectrum News that no matter who wins the primary — and the May 16 special general election — he hopes the new state representative addresses the sudden growth that Ocala and the state have seen.

"What makes Marion County special is still a little bit of this rural, small-town aspect," he said. "We don’t want to be Orlando, we don’t want to be Tampa. I think that’s what must people think who live here."

Chamberlin will face Robert "Foxy” Fox, who filed as a write-in candidate, in the May 16 special general election. 

For that election, mail-in ballot requests must be made by 5 p.m. on May 6.