A number of late reporting precincts has pushed the race for the Republican nomination for Mohave County Superior Court Judge into a virtual dead-heat.

Early reports from the Mohave County Elections Department Tuesday had sitting Cerbat Justice of the Peace John Taylor the winner, capturing 36.9 percent of the vote. Second was attorney Rick Williams of Bullhead City with 34.4 percent and Mohave County Public Defender Dana Hlavac was third with 28.3 percent.

“It was surprising to see the lead on the first night but I hadn’t known about the missing precincts,” Taylor said Thursday. “When I got up the next morning, I have to admit I was pretty shocked.”

That’s because the late precincts, counted sometime after midnight, moved Williams into the lead by 119 votes, just over a one-percentage point ahead.

“It’s a nail biter,” Williams said. “We’re holding our breath and waiting for the results.”

Both candidates said the Elections Department has a number votes still to count, anywhere from 900 to almost 1,100 early, provisional and possibly damaged ballots.

Calls to the Elections Department were not returned.

Williams said he hopes to have “an answer by end of business Friday,” But Taylor said he doesn’t expect final results until Saturday.

“I heard in all three cities that people had never seen a judicial race with three candidates of such deserving merit,” said Taylor. “So we knew it would split. I thought it could come down to 100 votes.”

The winner of the primary battle will face Democratic Golden Valley attorney Randolph Wolfson in the November general election.

You may contact the reporter at dbell@havasunews.com.