Amanda Kriegel.

Tama County Treasurer Amanda Kriegel will seek another term through a write-in campaign after falling short of the Republican nomination earlier this year.

Kriegel announced the decision on her campaign Facebook page last week, setting up another general election contest with Republican nominee Kathy Holtz.

“Although I was not selected at the convention, I have decided to move forward with a write-in campaign for Tama County Treasurer,” Kriegel wrote.

The announcement follows an unusual path to the November ballot. Kriegel received the most votes in the June 2 Republican primary but failed to reach the 35% threshold required to secure the nomination. She received 493 votes, or 34.31%, while Ashley Bolen received 466, Holtz received 400 and Jolynn Harger received 77. Kriegel finished 10 votes short of the number needed to win the nomination outright.

With no candidate reaching 35%, the nomination was decided at an Aug. 4 Tama County Republican convention.

Holtz won the nomination on the first ballot with 24 of the convention’s 40 delegate votes. Bolen received 13 votes and Kriegel received three. Kriegel was not in attendance but was nominated and had a prepared statement read to delegates by Tama County Supervisor David Turner.

In that statement, Kriegel pointed to the county’s investment earnings during her tenure.

“Since my election in 2022, I have managed to increase the interest earnings for the county to a projected $1,898,000. This is more than triple the amount that was earned in the previous four years before I took office, when the interest earnings at that time were $563,000,” Kriegel’s statement read.

In announcing her write-in campaign, Kriegel said the figure has since passed $2 million.

“Throughout my time serving Tama County, I have been committed to being open and transparent about the work being done on behalf of Tama County taxpayers,” Kriegel wrote. “Over the past four years, interest earnings have exceeded $2 million.”

Kriegel said she plans to continue sharing information about her experience, record, and priorities throughout the campaign. Her campaign has also begun advertising new write-in signs carrying the slogan “Trust the Numbers. Trust the Treasurer.”

Following the August convention, Holtz shared what she would do differently from the incumbent treasurer, “My bottom line, kind of from my speech, is that I’m going to work hard. I’m trustworthy, and I’m friendly,” Holtz said at the time.

The November contest will be a rematch of the 2022 county treasurer race. Kriegel ran as the Republican nominee that year while Holtz appeared on the ballot with no party affiliation. Kriegel won with 3,943 votes to Holtz’s 2,490.

This year, the positions are different with Holtz appearing on the ballot as the Republican nominee while Kriegel will have to receive write-in votes to retain the office.

Kriegel remains the sitting Tama County Treasurer. The general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m in the county.