MONTGOMERY, ALA. • Alabama’s Republican Party has declared a tie in the primary race for a state Senate seat and says the winner will be chosen by lot.

A state party news release says the party’s Candidate Committee held a hearing Saturday and said the District 27 primary race between Auburn City Councilman Jay Hovey and incumbent Tom Whatley was officially a tie. It said the winner would be determined in accordance with the state election code.

News outlets reported that the committee held the hearing after provisional ballots were counted in the already close primary race and Hovey appeared to be ahead by only a single vote. The party did not release a reason for its decision.

The state election code says that in the event of a tie in a legislative race, the secretary of state shall decide the winner by lot.

Whoever is declared the winner of the primary will run against Democrat candidate Sherri Reese of Opelika in the general election in November. Reese was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.