PICKENS — They say that every vote counts, and the Republican primary race between incumbent Randy Crenshaw and challenger Trey Whitehurst to represented District 2 on county council certainly proved that adage — when the all precincts were counted, Whitehurst was ahead of Crenshaw by just three votes.

Provisional ballots and provisional fail-safes will decided the county council race, and those ballots will be counted 9 a.m. Thursday at the county administration building in Pickens, said Rodney Allen, Pickens County Executive Director of registrations and elections.

The race for the District 3 House Seat saw three candidates with area roots among the five candidates for the Republican nomination — Easley native Rep. Rex Rice, Powdersville businessman Richard Cash and Greenville attorney Neal Collins, a graduate of Easley High School.

In Pickens County the race came down to Cash and Rice, with Cash taking 4,107 county votes and Rice bringing in 4,048.

The winner of that race will face commercial pilot Jane Dyer in the November, according to unofficial district results. In Pickens County, Dyer took 79 percent of the vote, defeating her opponent Brian Ryan B. Doyle.

Two men vied for the Republican nomination to replace Rice in the state House representing District 26.

In Pickens County, Eric Bikas took 1,214 votes, or 51 percent of the vote, and Christopher Robin Wilson took 1,127 or 48 percent.

As that seat represents portions of Pickens County and Greenville, a clear winner will not be known until the Greenville numbers are in.

The winner of that race will face Democrat Judy Gilstrap in November.

Pickens County voters selected Nikki Haley as their Republican nominee for governor. Haley earned 6,071 votes to Rep. Gresham Barrett’s 5,588. Attorney General Henry McMaster took 1,965 county votes and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer took 1,667 votes in that race.

Sen. Vincent Sheheen is the Democratic nominee for governor. Sheheen also took the county race, with 61 percent of the vote. Dr. Jim Rex and Sen. Robert Ford took 28 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

As of this writing, it remains to be seen who has won either the Republican or Democratic nomination for many statewide races, including the Third District U.S. House seat.

Check back at www.pickenssentinel.com and the Friday Easley Progress for those results as they come in.