Speaking from experience, I can tell you that it is a major error to ever let something like this slide until the situation becomes a reality. At that point, personalities become involved. It is far better to settle it in advance.

Frankly, I think that in the case of a 5-2-2 split the issue is unimportant. Whoever got the 5 votes is going to win the run off. If you do want to have a run off anyhow, you can determine which of those who received 2 votes got more votes in the TB elections the last time he ran and let him run against the person who got 5.