MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former Democratic Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. held a slight lead over Republican political newcomer Luther Strange Tuesday night in a race for lieutenant governor that likely will be close.

With about 40 percent of precincts reporting in the unofficial count, Folsom had 223,131 votes, or 55 percent, to 180,263, or 45 percent for Strange.

But several counties that normally vote Republican, like Baldwin and Autauga, were reporting few votes and Strange could cut into Folsom’s lead as more returns are counted.

A win would return Folsom to the lieutenant governor’s position that he held from 1987-1993. Since that time, the position has been stripped of much of it’s power, but is still viewed as a a stepping stone for candidates for governor.

Folsom, a political figure in Alabama since the 1970s, was trying to make a political comeback since losing the race for governor in 1994. He was heir to the political name of his father, former two-term Gov. James E. “Big Jim” Folsom.

Strange, a Birmingham lobbyist and lawyer nicknamed “Big Luther” for his 6-foot-9 size, defeated another famous name, Public Service Commissioner George Wallace Jr., in the Republican primary.

There’s a good chance the winner will be on a future ballot in the governor’s race.

Recent Alabama history has shown that the lieutenant governor’s office has become a launching pad for the No. 1 Capitol job. The last eight Alabama lieutenant governors have gone on to run for the state’s highest office.

The lure of higher office may explain why the race has continued to be costly, even though the lieutenant governor’s power over the state Senate has mostly been stripped away in recent years. Folsom and Strange have spent a total of more than $8 million to win an office whose primary duty is to preside over the Senate.

The candidates used their impressive campaign war chests to wage agressive campaigns, with Strange claiming that the election of Folsom would return Alabama to the corrupt politics of the past. His ads reminded voters of allegations of government corruption made against Folsom when he was governor from 1993-1995.

Folsom countered that he was cleared of those allegations. He said that Strange is a Washington lobbyist who has represented utilities, who raised rates in Alabama.

The most interesting part of the race may be the size of the candidates. Strange became a household name with his “Big Luther” TV ads that poked fun at his 6-foot-9 frame. In television ads, Strange sometimes referred to Folsom as “Little Jim.”

Folsom is a bit shorter at 6 feet, 3 1/2 inches, but he emphasized his size with his campaign slogan: “The little guy’s big friend” — an echo of his father’s campaign heyday. The elder Folsom was elected governor twice.