Judge orders new election after tie in primary

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Hartford Superior Court judge has ordered a new primary election in a state House race after a recount ended in a tie.

Judge Susan Peck Wednesday set Oct. 2 for a runoff between Democrats Brandon McGee and Leo Canty in the 5th Assembly District, which includes parts of Hartford and Windsor.

A second recount showed each candidate had 774 votes in September's primary.

The race seemed to hinge on the absentee ballot of a 91-year-old Windsor woman, which had improperly been marked "deceased" and never counted.

The judge ordered that ballot opened, despite expressing concerns over violating the secrecy of her ballot.

But it turned out the woman, who was found to be alive in a Windsor nursing home, had voted for a third candidate.

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