The Closest Election in Wyoming History
In yesterday's primary election, House District 41 Republican candidate Bill Henderson defeated his opponent Patrick Fitzgerald by one vote, 583 to 582. Another race was decided by four votes.
Interestingly, Henderson's victory was not the closest election in Wyoming history.
In November of 1994, the race for the state house between Republican Randall Luthi and Independent Larry Call finished in a dead heat, 1,941 votes each.
An odd Wyoming election law was invoked to decide the winner, when then-Governor Mike Sullivan pulled a ping pong ball from his cowboy hat. State law calls for ties to be settled by drawing lots.
As fate would have it, Sullivan chose the ping pong ball with Luthi's name and the lawyer went on to represent Lincoln County in the state legistlature for 12 years, including a two year stint as Speaker of the House.
Wyoming law also calls for a recount in any election decided by 1% or less.