Coin toss decides which candidate for magistrate judge wins election

Sometimes, rock, paper, scissors just won't do.

On Tuesday, Kenneth Howard Jr. and Robert Baca used a coin toss to determine which man would become the next McKinley County magistrate judge. The pair met in a Gallup, New Mexico courtroom, and Howard made the lucky call.

How did it come down to this? A recount found that both received 2,879 votes in the June 3 Democratic primary. The state law mandates a tie must be decided by lot, The Associated Press reports, so a Democratic Party official flipped a 50-cent piece. Because Howard was lower on the ballot, he was able to make the call.

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There isn't an opponent on the general election ballot, making Howard the magistrate judge for the next four years. While Baca was saddened by the loss, both are glad they finally have a winner, and it didn't have to come down to arm wrestling.