Official: Onondaga Twp. supervisor race could be decided by a coin flip

ONONDAGA TWP. – One primary election contest in Ingham County ended in a tie and could be decided with a coin flip, officials said.

Phil Hutchison and Rhiannon Schindewolf-DeShais each drew 175 votes in the Republican primary for Onondaga Township supervisor on Tuesday, according to unofficial results. Ray Moore finished third with 128 votes.

No one filed to run in the Democratic primary for supervisor, so, barring a successful write-in candidate, the winner of the Republican primary will be elected supervisor.

The results won't be official until the Ingham County Board of Canvassers certifies the returns. After that, either candidate could ask for a recount, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum said.

If the results don't change, the winner will be decided with a coin flip or something similar, such as drawing slips of paper from a hat, Byrum said. That happened in Mason about a decade ago, she said.

Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.