A Democrat has won a local election in Kentucky after a tie was broken by a coin toss. Kristen Fryman will serve as magistrate judge in Robertson County after securing an equal number of votes with her Republican opponent, Benny Ray Renner.
Both candidates received 91 votes, necessitating a tiebreaker according to Kentucky election law. The candidates used a quarter from the sheriff’s pocket to decide the winner. Fryman won the toss, though she joked that she ended up with the quarter and a victory.
Fryman’s win maintains the Democratic majority on the county’s fiscal court, which handles local budgets and tax rates. This outcome is notable in a county that overwhelmingly supported President Trump in the 2024 election and where Republican Andy Barr secured a significant victory in his Senate race.
This is not the first time a tie election in Kentucky has been decided by a coin flip. Similar outcomes have occurred in other local races, including a Union County Republican primary, a Logan County Democratic primary, a city commission seat in Hanson, and a city council race in Madisonville in 2010.