McLeod sent a letter Wednesday to Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s office requesting the recount, Kemp spokesman Jared Thomas said. On Tuesday, Kemp certified the July 31 results, which have McLeod trailing Augusta businessman Rick Allen by 584 votes.

In an e-mail to supporters, McLeod said he was requesting a recount “to ensure the numbers are accurate.” He had two days after the results were certified to request the recount, allowed when the difference in votes is less than 1 percent of all votes cast.

Thomas said Kemp’s office will work with all the district’s 19 counties to ensure each retabulates and submits its votes for the recount, to be completed by noon Thursday.

The certified results placed McLeod in third place behind Allen and Grovetown farmer Lee Anderson, who finished first. Since the night of the primary, Allen has maintained that he’ll be in the Aug. 21 runoff with Anderson, challenging Anderson to four debates before then.