Silverman (left) & Pirtle (right)/Photos by Creative Cannon

Sam Brown Silverman and Tim Pirtle appear to be headed to a runoff in Potter County’s 108th District Court Judge election, according to election night results.

Pirtle earned the most votes of any candidate with 2,524 (28.74%) casting their ballot for him. Silverman came in second with 2,291 (26.09%) votes. Joe Marr Wilson and Pamela Sirmon, who did not make it to the runoff, weren’t close behind. Wilson earned 2,198 (25.03%) votes while Sirmon earned 1,769 (20.14%).

The numbers were so tight that the order of the race shifted several times during election night. Wilson earned the most absentee and early voting ballots, though he slipped to third place once Election Day numbers began reporting. Pirtle, who earned first place overall, received the fewest absentee ballots.

Whoever wins the runoff will officially become the Republican Party nominee for the 108th District Court Judge. With no independent, Democratic, or third-party candidates in the race, barring a write-in upset in November, the winner will be set to replace retiring incumbent Doug Woodburn. Runoff Election Day is May 28th.