Manheim sales executive Mindy Fee won strong support from Republican committee members in the 37th Legislative District on Tuesday night in her bid for retiring state Rep. Tom Creighton's House seat.

Fee, who is 46 and a member of the Manheim Central GOP, beat out builder Stephen Black of Elizabeth Township in a nonbinding straw poll taken by committee members in the legislative district.

She received support from 19 of 30 committee members who voted from the district, whose newly redrawn boundaries include much of northern Lancaster County and part of East Hempfield Township.

Black received 11 votes.

The straw poll, though nonbinding, is designed to test candidates' strength prior to the party committee's endorsement convention, which is being held on Jan. 24.

"The straw polls are a good way for candidates to get to know the committee, ask some basic questions and gauge their support," county Republican committee Chairman Ethan Demme said. "They have between now and the convention to talk to committee people on a more personal level."

State House candidates need to win a two-thirds majority from committee people in their legislative district to secure the endorsement, which brings with it the substantial benefit of party resources. Fee won support from 63 percent of the committee members who took part in the straw poll Tuesday night, establishing her as an early favorite for party backing.

Creighton, who has represented the 37th Legislative District since 2001, announced in December that he would retire at the end of 2012, fulfilling a campaign pledge to serve only six two-year terms in the House.

Fee and Black are the only two candidates who are seeking the Republican committee's endorsement. Candidates who chose to bypass the endorsement process can begin collecting signatures on nomination petitions later this month.

Retired schoolteacher Barry  McFarland, 69, of Penn Township, who tried to mount a challenge to Creighton in the 2010 Republican primary but withdrew after a legal challenge to his nomination petitions, said he will circulate petitions and try for the GOP nomination once again.

Fee, the mother of three children, has more than 20 years of business experience and currently is a sales executive. She is the widow of former Magisterial District Judge and Manheim Mayor Thomas Fee. She has said she hopes to be a strong advocate for "business-friendly policies."

She said she believes she got strong support from the committee because of her "willingness to honestly tackle the problems in a common-sense manner."

"I have lived my entire life in the 37th. My husband and I raised our children here, we have worshipped and worked in this community," Fee said in an email. "Thanks to my contacts if I need something, I know where to go and who to speak to.  I am confident I know how to be heard and get things done.

"There are some people in our community that feel they have no voice, I am prepared to be their voice," Fee said.

Black, 58, is the owner of Stephen Black Builders Inc., based on West Brubaker Valley Road in Lititz. He is a Manheim Central graduate and a trustee for the Moravian College theological seminary.

He told committee members that his decades of experience in business show that he has the credentials and is prepared to serve in the state Capitol.

"You need conservative business people in Harrisburg to represent District 37," he said. "You need somebody who's ready to hit the ground running."

Black declined to comment specifically on the straw poll results but said he was meeting with supporters to discuss them. He predicted the outcome at the endorsement convention would be different.

The 37th Legislative District, redrawn during the decennial redistricting process in late 2011, includes part of East Hempfield Township and all of Clay, Elizabeth, Mount Joy, Penn, Rapho and West Cocalico townships. It also includes Denver, East Petersburg and Manheim boroughs.

The legislative district includes parts of six of the county's 16 public school districts — Cocalico, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Hempfield, Manheim Central and Warwick.

The population in the legislative district is 61,166.

tmurse@lnpnews.com