Coin toss breaks tie, Felicia Brown wins Glenwood's third village trustee seat

Brown, who ran on Village President Ronald Gardiner's Glenwood Progress Party slate, and Rodrick Murdock, the Glenwood Strong Party candidate

A coin toss decided the third village trustee seat in Glenwood on Tuesday, giving the seat to Felicia Brown, who ran on Village President Ronald Gardiner's Glenwood Progress Party slate.

Brown and Rodrick Murdock, the Glenwood Strong Party candidate running on a slate led by former village treasurer and mayoral candidate Toleda Hart, each received 617 votes, according to election results from the Cook County clerk's office.

"We're here to flip one coin, to decide one race, and today it's going to be an 1899 silver dollar," said Edmund Michalowski, deputy clerk of elections for Cook County, in a video released by the clerk's office that recorded the coin toss.

James Nally, legal counsel for Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, said under the Illinois Election Code, tied elections are resolved by lot.

To conduct the drawing, Nally presented each candidate with a white index card with their name written on it. The cards were folded, sealed in small opaque canisters and placed into a fishbowl.

"He will shake the bowl vigorously," Nally said.

After confirming the bowl had been thoroughly shaken, one canister was drawn. Brown was given the opportunity to call the coin toss and chose heads.

Nally said the Glenwood trustee race was the only Cook County race decided by lot this year.

Michalowski said in the April 1 election there were 2,487 candidates across 980 contests, along with 69 write-in votes and 35 referendums. He said all precincts had reported results within two hours of polls closing and more than 311,000 people cast ballots in the election.

Hart led Gardiner with 53% of the vote.

Running with Hart on the Glenwood Strong party were three trustee candidates vying for three seats against Progress candidates.

Glenwood Strong candidate Michelle Mosley had 761 votes, while running mates Edward Hadnott had 738 and Rodrick Murdock 617. Progress candidate Felicia Brown had 617 votes, while running mates Camiella Williams had 613, Michael Owens 518 and independent candidate Dion Lynch had 510.

Jesse Durden of the Glenwood Strong Party led Janice Flemister of the Progress Party with 55% of the vote.

The coin toss made Brown the only Progress Party candidate to get a seat on the board.

After the election, the Progress Party said in a Facebook post they aim to ensure a smooth transition to the new administration.

"Though the outcome was not what we had worked for, Glenwood is our home and we love our community," the party said in the post.

In a message to her supporters, Hart said she plans to focus on fiscal responsibility, economic development, revitalizing neighborhoods and community safety.

"Glenwood's best days are ahead, and I am honored to lead us forward," she wrote.

smoilanen@chicagotribune.com