Write-in candidate will go after Kraemer’s seat

HARTINGTON — Even though only one name will appear on the November ballot, the race for the District 2 Cedar County Commission seat is far from decided.
Cedar County Road Dept. employee Craig Bartels filed an application this week with the Cedar County Clerk’s office seeking to be a write-in candidate for the Cedar County Commission seat.
He is seeking to replace his current boss, Marlen Kraemer. Kraemer was defeated in the May Primary election in his bid for an eighth term in office.

Jerry Wiese collected nine more votes than Kraemer during the May Primary election to unseat Kraemer and advance into November’s General Election. No Democrats filed for the seat, so until Monday Wiese was unopposed for the four-year term.
Cedar County Clerk Dave Dowling said the law allows for an individual to file an affidavit with his office requesting their name be counted as a write-in candidate in an election. Anyone seeking to run for office as a write-in must then pay a filing fee at the County Clerk’s office. The fee, set by state statute, is equal to one percent of the annual salary of the office being sought.
By law, write-ins are not counted in most races unless the affidavit is filed.
Write-ins are counted, however, in village board races where the offices often don’t have enough candidates on the ballot.