T-R FILE PHOTO From left to right, Republicans Kathy Holtz, Amanda Kriegel, Jolynn Harger and Ashley Bolen participated in a Tama County Treasurer candidate forum at the Tama Civic Center on May 19.

TOLEDO — The Republican nomination for Tama County Treasurer will be decided by convention after no candidate reached the 35 percent threshold required under Iowa law during Tuesday’s primary election.

Incumbent Amanda Kriegel received the most votes in the four-way Republican primary with 493 votes, or 34.31 percent of the 1,437 ballots cast in the race. Ashley Bolen finished close behind with 466 votes (32.43 percent), followed by Kathy Holtz with 400 votes (27.84 percent), and Jolynn Harger with 77 votes (5.36 percent). One write-in vote was cast in the race.

Under Iowa election law, a candidate for county office must receive at least 35 percent of the vote in a primary election to secure a party’s nomination outright. Kriegel fell just 10 votes short of the 503 votes needed to reach the 35 percent threshold.

Because no candidate reached the mark, the Tama County Republican Party will select its nominee at a county convention. The party does not have to consider the election results and can even nominate a candidate who did not run in the primary.

The only candidate who has made public comments about the race as of press time is Bolen. “Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote, put up signs, share encouragement, and support my campaign. I am deeply grateful for the trust and confidence you have shown,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “While I am honored by the outcome of the vote, the process is not yet complete. The final decision now rests with the Republican County Central Committee, and I respect their important role in selecting our nominee. No matter what happens next, I am thankful for the incredible support, friendships, and conversations that have come from this campaign. I look forward to continuing to serve our community and working together for the values we all share. Thank you again for your support, your prayers, and your participation in this process!”

Other races

The treasurer’s race was the only contested county office on the ballot in Tama County. County Recorder Amelia Kemper, County Supervisors David Turner and Heather Knebel, and County Attorney Brent Heeren all ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Two candidates were vying Tuesday evening for the Republican nomination in Senate District 27, including incumbent Annette Sweeney of Iowa Falls and business owner Rocky Damiano, also of Iowa Falls.

Senate District 27 is a vast district that covers Grundy, Hardin, and Poweshiek counties, most of Tama County, and parts of Black Hawk County.

Sweeney won in all five counties, according to unofficial results. In Grundy County, she earned 913 votes to Damiano’s 262. In Tama County, she picked up 792 votes to Damiano’s 219. In their home county of Hardin, the race was much tighter with Sweeney garnering 882 votes and Damiano receiving 793 votes.

In total, Sweeney received more than twice as many votes as her challenger with 3,502 votes to Damiano’s 1,596.

While no candidate filed in the Democratic primary for the race, a candidate can still be nominated by convention ahead of November’s general election.

Rep. Dean Fisher (R-Montour) ran unopposed in the House District 53 primary, and he currently does not have a general election challenger.