RALEIGH, N.C. -- Richard Vinroot wasted no time in kicking off his campaign for next month's GOP gubernatorial runoff, attacking rival Patrick Ballantine's voting record on taxes and pork-barrel spending on Wednesday.

Related Links Updated: N.C. Primary Election Results

After Vinroot and Ballantine finished neck-and-neck in Tuesday's six-person GOP primary, the former Charlotte mayor was back campaigning Wednesday morning, while Ballantine sought the support of former competitors in the race.

With all precincts reporting, an unofficial count by The Associated Press showed Vinroot leading Ballantine by 107,542 votes to 105,908 votes. However, the state Board of Elections' final tally showed additional votes that put Ballantine in the lead, 109,552 votes to 108,247 votes for Vinroot.

The AP was going back through its tallies and checking with county officials Wednesday afternoon to iron out the discrepancies. Vinroot and Ballantine each received 30 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary election. Because no candidate got 40 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held on Aug. 17.

Former state GOP chairman Bill Cobey finished third with 27 percent of the vote.

The winner of the runoff will face Democratic incumbent Mike Easley, who overwhelmingly defeated one opponent in his party's primary Tuesday.

Vinroot called himself the true conservative in the race.

"I think it's a clear choice between a moderate with a big-spending record and someone who wants to reduce bureaucracy and government waste," said Vinroot, 63, who is making his third run for the office. "I think I'm the clear choice."

Ballantine, 39, served in the Senate for 10 years, five of them as minority leader, before he stepped down to run this campaign.

"I believe we've taken a big, big step, a step toward a new administration that will get things done," he told supporters Tuesday night in his hometown of Wilmington. "An administration with energy and enthusiasm, new faces and new ideas."

Bob Rosser, Ballantine's campaign director, said the candidate planned to talk to the four other candidates in the GOP primary on Wednesday. "We'll probably have a news conference tomorrow in Raleigh," he said.

Rosser said the mood in the Ballantine camp was jubilant.

"It was definitely a victorious night for us," he said. "We ran strong statewide, which was real important for Patrick's message and vision for North Carolina."

According to the unofficial results, Ballantine won in 34 of North Carolina's 100 counties, most of them in the east where Vinroot performed poorly in his 2000 defeat to Easley. Ballantine also won a handful further west, including Macon, Cherokee and Yancey counties in the mountains.

Vinroot won 28 counties, including his home Mecklenburg as well as most in the 5th and 10th Congressional Districts, which held intense GOP primaries Tuesday.

Cobey won 33 counties, mainly in the Triangle and Triad with a few in the mountains such as Buncombe and Rutherford. Rosser said Vinroot's latest attacks would not alter Ballantine's campaign message.

"We're going to continue running the race we run so far, which is a positive race that exhibits Patrick's conservative vision for North Carolina," he said. "Some people are saying what last night showed was that 70 percent of the voters are looking for another candidate. We think Patrick can be that candidate."

State Sen. Fern Shubert of Union County, Moore County businessman and former state cabinet member George Little and Davie County commissioner Dan Barrett each failed to receive more than 5 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary, according to unofficial results.

Vinroot said Wednesday he was not disappointed he didn't put more distance between him and the rest of the primary field. "The others were all running to take me down, and they didn't," he said. "I'm still standing.

"I'm pleased that I won," Vinroot said. "I would have loved to have gotten 40 percent and make it unanimous, but that was never realistic."

He said North Carolina Republican voters will have little trouble differentiating between him and Ballantine.

"Senator Ballantine is a fine man, but if you look at his record he's done some things I would not support," he said.

For example, in 1998 Ballantine voted to increase state spending by $1.5 billion. And he has supported legislative initiatives to provide incentives for Fortune 500 companies to expand or relocate to North Carolina, Vinroot said.

Vinroot also planned to seek the support of the other candidates -- especially Cobey: "A lot of his supporters can be my supporters."

But Cobey's campaign spokesman said Wednesday he'll remain neutral, at least for the present.

"At this point, he's not endorsing anyone," spokesman Jeff Miller said.