Donner to challenge Tramp for County seat

HARTINGTON — Cedar County has its first contested race for the upcoming county election.

Former Cedar County Commissioner Dick Donner filed for the seat Monday afternoon at the Cedar County Courthouse.

Donner served on the Cedar County Board from 1999-2007

Donner lived in Hartington and represented District 3 when he

Donner lived in Hartington and represented District 3 when he previously served on the Commission. He now lives in the Aten area, so he will be seeking the seat currently being held by Chris Tramp.

Tramp defeated incumbent Terry Pinkelman in the 2018 primary election, then defeated Donner in the general election. Donner entered that race late, and so had to go on the ballot as a write-in candidate. Incumbents still have until Feb. 15 to file for the election. Non-incumbents have until March 1 to file.

Three other individuals also filed for re-election last week to their respective school boards.

Sandy Owens of Randolph filed for the Randolph School Board; Daniel Kuhlman of Laurel filed for the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School Board; and Todd Pinkelman filed for another term on the Wynot Public School Board.

Candice Climer had filed for re-election to the Hartington Newcastle School Board earlier this month.

All county officials up for re-election have filed except for Assessor Jeff Curry. He - along with all incumbents - have until Feb. 15 to file for re-election.

Those considered incumbents include anyone holding an office currently, regardless of what office they are seeking, said County Clerk Dave Dowling.

For example, a school board member filing for a spot on a village board is still considered an incumbent filing for office even though they have not served on the village board previously. The fact that they are a school board member makes them an incumbent, he said.

Those who are new to seeking public office have until March 1 to file for election.

Some village board contests will only be seen on the general election ballot this fall - Fordyce, Belden, St. Helena, Coleridge, Magnet and Wynot. The incumbent filing deadline for any of those village board spots is July 15 and any new candidates, Aug. 1.