The next mayor of Braddock may be determined by a little numbered ball pulled from a cup.

But first there will be a recount.

The unofficial results show a tie for the mayoral nomination between Democrats Virginia Bunn and John K. Fetterman.

Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Joseph James said absentee ballots have all been counted in Braddock, but the write-ins are still outstanding.

If the two candidates are still tied after a full recount, they will be called into James' court and asked to agree on whether the high or low ball wins.

Then they will each pull a small numbered ball out of a cup to determine the winner, James said.

The primary winner will be the next mayor. No other candidates are expected to be on the November ballot.

The two challengers have defeated Mayor Pauline Abdullah, who has been Braddock's mayor since 1998. The unofficial results gave Bun and Fetterman 148 votes to Abdullah's 128.

Bunn, 69, lives on Ninth Street on property that has been slated by the county for redevelopment. She said she has been approached by people who say they are from Allegheny County to buy her house, but she doesn't want to move. She grew up in the borough, and is a retired family advocate for Allegheny County Head Start.

Fetterman, 35, moved to Braddock in 2003 where he has turned a warehouse across the street from the Braddock Carnegie Library into his home. He is a social worker who runs two programs in Braddock: the Braddock Out of School Youth Program and another General Educational Development program for people who dropped out of high school.

He said the recount should come out in his favor. Fetterman said he believes that there are at least two ballots on which his name was written in on the wrong slot and a there were provisional ballots that were cast with votes for him.

Braddock council will have two new members next year. Democratic Councilwoman Evelyn Benzo dropped off the ballot in Ward 2 to allow challenger Tina Doose to take the seat.

Ward 1 will have two council members named Devich. Councilwoman Mildred A. Devich's husband, Democrat Milan Devich, defeated Robert Clanagan in the primary, 101 to 83 votes, for the seat currently occupied by Stanley Orell.