Education

Rockford School Board Write-In Race Determined By Card Draw

Northern Public Radio | By Susan Stephens

Published April 26, 2017 at 2:58 PM CDT

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John Nelson, attorney for school board candidate Brandi Brown, counts to make sure there are 52 cards in the deck to be used Tuesday afternoon to determine which write-in candidate will become a member of the Rockford School Board.

WNIJ/Susan Stephens

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Brandi Brown and Anthony Dixon look toward the tie-breaking playing cards as County Clerk Margie Mullins announces Dixon has won the school board race.

WNIJ/Susan Stephens

Anthony Dixon won the race for a seat on the Rockford School Board with a Queen of Clubs.

Eight write-in candidates battled it out for the sub-district A seat in the April 4 election.

Brandi Brown drew the Five of Hearts, but Anthony Dixon pulled the Queen of Clubs to win the Rockford School Board seat from Subdistrict A.

Tuesday, the winner was determined by flipping over two playing cards at the Winnebago County Administration Building in Rockford.

According to letters sent to Dixon and fellow write-in candidate Brandi Brown, a total of 517 ballots cast for the eight write-in candidates in the April 4 election resulted in a tie.

Dixon, a senior collector for the Illinois Tollway, is the father of seven children. Brown is the mother of three Guilford High School students.

Brown led Dixon by five votes the day after the election.

No one initially filed to run for the seat, so voters had to write in the names of their chosen candidates.

Brown plans to call for a recount.