Western North Carolina voters returned U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler to Congress Tuesday.

Shuler, a Democrat, beat his challenger, Asheville city councilman Carl Mumpower, taking 62 percent of the vote with 166 of 310 precincts reporting as of presstime Tuesday night.

Shuler took nearly 60 percent of the vote in Polk County.

Retired Brevard educator Tom Thomas, a Democrat, was defeated in the N.C. House, District 113 race by Republican David Guice. Guice received 19,037 votes or 51 percent of the vote. Thomas received 18,486 or 49 percent. Polk County voters preferred Guice by 619 votes, 5,365 votes for Guice to 4,746 for Thomas.

Thomas will replace Republican Trudi Walend, who chose to retire after serving five terms.

Republican Joey Millwood of Landrum was elected to the S.C. House, District 38, over his Democratic opponent, Mark Chambers. Millwood had won 66 percent of the vote, 4,774 to 2,431, with 9 of 13 precincts reporting.

Millwood will replace Republican Bob Walker, whom he defeated in the primary last spring. A write-in campaign was begun for Walker. The number of write-ins for Walker was not reported at presstime.

Polk County voters preferred John McCain for president by a 1,788 vote margin, 6,511 for McCain to 4,723 for Obama.

Polk voters also liked the Republican candidates in the U.S. Senate and N.C. Governor&squo;s races.

Although Democrat Kay Hagan won the N.C. Senate seat, Polk County voters preferred incumbent Elizabeth Dole by 5,,048 to 4,968.Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, a Republican candidate for governor, won 154 more votes in Polk County, although he lost statewide to Bev Perdue.