In early November, when many Americans were focused on the Presidential race, things were changing up amongst leadership in Black Hawk County.

Last year, Republican Dan Trelka announced he would be stepping down from his position on the Black Hawk County Supervisor board effective January. According to reports, Trelka had accepted a job in Colorado as chief of police.

The former Waterloo police chief became a member of the Black Hawk County Supervisor board in 2020, according to a report from KWWL.

This opening on the board required the county to hold a special election on January 28th, 2025.

Who Won the Black Hawk County Supervisor Seat?

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At 8:43 PM on the evening of Tuesday, January 28th, Black Hawk County Elections released a summary report for this special election.

While there are 80,683 registered voters in Black Hawk County only 5,469 of them actually went out to vote on this election night. This is only 6.78% of the entire voting population of the county.

The winner of the election and the Black Hawk County Supervisor seat is Democrat Ritchie Kurtenbach.

Kurtenbach is a resident of Waterloo with a background in electrical work, according to his official campaign website.

He held multiple key roles in the IBEW Local Union 288, he's served as this labor group's Business Manager and then as the Market Development coordinator.

"Known for his problem-solving approach and commitment to being part of the solution, Ritch emphasizes his practical and hands-on perspective, shaped by his 45 years as an IBEW member and 28 years as a labor leader."

Black Hawk County Special Election Results

Kurtenbach held a significant lead in this special election race. The Democrat had 53.39% of the votes, while his Republican counterpart Jim Brown received 23.46% of the total votes.

Independent Cliff Berinobis trailed right behind Brown at 20.64%.

Other candidates like Bob Lincoln and Corey J. Timm only were able to get one percent of the vote each.

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