Tie broken in Tonganoxie race

A tie for the fourth place spot in the Tonganoxie City Council race was broken Friday — allowing James Truesdell to advance to the April 1 general election over Mike Weston.

Truesdell and Weston had tied for the fourth-place spot in the primary, each getting 80 votes Tuesday. And Weston had thought Tuesday night that if his wife had made it to the polls, he would have been the fourth-place finisher.

But the vote was canvassed by Leavenworth County commissioners. And when the provisional ballots were counted, it showed that Truesdell gained one vote, thereby putting him in the lead.

If Weston’s wife had voted for him, there would have been a tie. She didn’t get to the polls Tuesday. Ties are dealt with by the county clerk by either drawing straws or with a coin flip.

The other three vote-getters who will advance to the general are Ron Cranor, with 121 votes; Lois Seelbinder, 99 votes and Velda R. Roberts, with 84 votes.

The four candidates are running for two open city council seats in the April 1 election.