MONTGOMERY (AP) — The Alabama Republican Party expected to determine frontrunner Bradley Byrne’s runoff opponent for the governor’s race today, and hoped to avoid a bitter recount that could damage the party.

That won’t be possible after Tim James, who ran third in the race, told supporters in an email Monday night that he’ll ask for a recount.

State Party Chairman Mike Hubbard met Monday with the candidates or their representatives and encouraged a united front.

Byrne, the former two-year college chancellor, led the field on June 1 and is guaranteed a spot in the runoff July 13.

The unofficial tally showed Tuscaloosa physician Robert Bentley in second place, with Greenville developer Tim James trailing by 208 votes. But the Republican executive committee in each county has to count provisional ballots that have been verified as legal, add those to last week’s totals, and report the new tally to the state party headquarters in Birmingham.

“What’s apparent now is that we will need to recount the vote,” James said, adding there was a “100 percent chance” the numbers would change in a recount.