RALEIGH, N.C. — Democrat G.K. Butterfield won a special election Tuesday

to fill out the term of former First District Rep. Frank Ballance.

Ballance dropped his re-election campaign in May and resigned his seat June 8 because of a neuromuscular disorder. He also faces a joint federal-state investigation into suspected financial irregularities of a drug and alcohol counseling program he founded.

Butterfield will assume Ballance's former seat immediately and will be sworn in to the U.S. House on Wednesday afternoon, a campaign spokesman said. Butterfield was not immediately available for comment.

"We feel very happy with this win and feel very confident," spokesman Billy Dunn said.

Voters in the First Congressional District also picked Democratic and Republican nominees for the November election, which means Butterfield also wins the chance to face off against Republican Greg Dority.

Dority said Tuesday he plans to closely monitor Butterfield's voting record in the House in the months ahead.

"We will hold my opponent accountable on every single vote he makes between now and the general election in November," he said.

Dority said he also plans to continue talking about his top issue -- job creation.

"We're hurting here in eastern North Carolina," Dority said. "I think when it comes to jobs and poor people, party is not really a consideration."

The winner of the November election will begin serving in January.