Tied Spring Lake Park mayoral race decided by random drawing

The winner of the mayoral race in Spring Lake Park , Minnesota, was decided Monday by a random drawing after the election ended in an exact tie. Incumbent Mayor Bob Nelson and challenger Halyn Roth each received 1,401 votes in last week's election, triggering a state law that requires tied elections to be settled by chance. At Spring Lake Park City Hall, each candidate's name was placed into separate canisters, and then into a bag where a winner was drawn. Moments later, City Council member Barbara Goodboe-Bisschoff pulled Nelson's name as the winner. While Nelson ultimately won the drawing, he said the process is flawed. "This seems like it's something from the 1800s, and now we're in 2026, so I just feel there's room for improvement," Nelson said. "It was fair as far as it could be. I can't imagine any other way that we could have done it," Roth said. "I know there's a lot of folks who were frustrated by this process, and all I can say is if you want it to change, call your state legislators and ask them to change it." Nelson said he would prefer a runoff election in this situation. City Administrator Daniel Buchholtz said that would be too expensive, costing the city $30,000. The race may not be over yet. Roth said he plans to file paperwork seeking a recount. "Recounts, you never know. Sometimes they'll find one or two votes here or there," Roth said. "I'm confident that the election was done well and I have faith in our election process, but you never know. We'll see." The recount is set for Nov. 17 at the Anoka County Courthouse. If the recount ends in another tie, Nelson, who won the draw, remains mayor. In: Spring Lake Park Election Featured Local Savings