First Time Ever: Democrat draws straw for tie-breaker win in race for State House
By Bobby Harrison
Daily Journal Jackson Bureau
JACKSON, MS
The Republicans’ super majority in the Mississippi House has been thwarted – at least for now – by incumbent Rep. Bo Eaton’s good fortune of drawing the long straw Friday to break the tie for the District 79 House seat.
Eaton of Taylorsville, a five-term incumbent, and his Republican challenger, Mark Tullos of Raleigh, drew straws Friday in a conference room in the governor’s suite of the Sillers state office buildings to break a tie. Both candidates had 4,589 votes, according to official returns from the Nov. 3 general election, in the district that comprises all of Smith and a portion of Jasper County.
Surrounded by friends and family from southeast Mississippi, Eaton was philosophical after drawing the longest, green straw.
“I always gamble. I am a farmer. I gamble every day,” he said, explaining that elements beyond his control, such as the weather, impact his crop production. “I gambled and won.”
But Eaton’s victory is not certain. Jackson attorney Mike Wallace representing Tullos, announced before the drawing that he already had filed an election challenge with the state House clerk. The Constitution makes the House the final arbiter of any election challenges for House seats.
If the House opts to seat Tullos, it would give the Republicans’ 74 members – or a three-fifths super majority – allowing them to pass revenue bills, such as tax cuts, without any Democratic support if the Republicans all stick together.
“Right now I have to go meet with my attorney,” Tullos said after the drawing.
Eaton said he believes he would be treated fairly by House members in any election contest, though, he said he believes the fair remedy would have been a special election.
Gov. Phil Bryant also said he did not like the law requiring a tie to be determined “by lot, fairly and publicly draw” and administered by the governor and secretary of state.
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said his office could find no other instance of a tie in a legislative race.
Both candidates drew business card boxes emblazoned by a local jeweler with the date and Mississippi. Beforehand it was determined the box containing the green, three-inch coffee straw opposed to the two-inch, red straw would be the winner.
The room was packed with family and friends, media – including the New York Times – and other onlookers.
Everyone was standing, straining to see the outcome, as the boxes were selected.
Bryant announced the outcome.
bobby.harrison@journalinc.com
Twitter: @BobbyHarrison9