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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Shady Cove amputee guides other amputees in wheelchair-accessible driftboat ... Goodbye El Niño, hello La Niña ... Tied Oregon primary race decided by rolling dice ... Shady Cove amputee guides other amputees in wheelchair-accessible driftboat ... Goodbye El Niño, hello La Niña ... Tied Oregon primary race decided by rolling dice ... LEGISLATURE Tied Oregon primary race decided by rolling dice Comment By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press Posted Jun. 18, 2016 at 2:00 AM By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press Posted Jun. 18, 2016 at 2:00 AM » Social News PORTLAND — A roll of the dice this week determined which candidate in a tied race for a key seat in the state Legislature got the nomination of Oregon's Independent Party, the third-largest by voter count and the state's newest major party. Republican Dan Mason rolled a six at the Capitol building in Salem Friday to beat his Democratic opponent Janeen Sollman, who rolled a three. The bizarre resolution was necessary because Mason and Sollman won exactly 41 write-in votes each from Independents, who didn't have their own candidates to choose from, during the May 17 primary election. Both candidates will still represent their respective parties on the November ballot for the House District 30 seat, but an additional nomination from the Independent Party could also help Mason and his fellow Republicans in the general election. As the Independent nominee as well as the GOP pick, Mason's name is now associated with another set of 104,600 registered voters, who make it the third-largest party and often vary in their political leanings. Independents are also the third major party in Oregon as of last year, and they held their first state-funded primary election last month. The Hillsboro-area House seat is among the few Statehouse races without an incumbent candidate — Democrat Rep. Joe Gallegos decided not to run for a third term. Republicans hope to snatch it from Democrats and chip away at their majority. Democrats currently dominate both chambers, 35-25 in the House and 18-12 in the Senate. Friday's tie breaker was actually the second attempt to break the Independent Party deadlock between the two candidates. Sollman won the first tie-breaker on Wednesday, that time using a deck of cards right after a ballot recount confirmed the tie. But Washington County election officials realized that day that election laws weren't followed because the candidates should've been present, rather than their representatives, and the secretary of state's office should've facilitated, not the county. Molly Woon, spokeswoman for the secretary of state, said it's the first time in recent memory that a statewide or legislative race ended in a tie, so there was a lot of confusion. "In the last 25 years, we can't recall this happening at all," Woon said. Ties are uncommon, but not unheard of. In November 2004, the tied mayoral race in rural eastern Oregon's Prairie City was decided by a coin toss. But first, the candidates drew straws to see who called "heads" or "tails." By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Kristena Hansen The Associated Press Posted Jun. 18, 2016 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501