A primary race for a seat on the Saline County Commission which ended with candidates within 20 votes of one another won’t be over now until the November general election.

The Republican primary race for the Saline County Commission District 2 seat ended with Annie Grevas defeating Kathleen Malone Crouch by 17 votes, with over 1,100 total votes cast.

According to the Saline County Clerk’s Office, Malone Crouch officially filed to be a write-in candidate on Monday. She also has the option of requesting a recount, which she would have to pay for.

Salina County Clerk Jamie Doss tells KSAL News this is the first time locally anyone has officially filed to run as a write-in candidate. Under a new state law recently passed, write-in candidates are now required to file with the local election office. There is no fee to file as a write-in candidate.

Though Malone Crouch had to file paperwork, her name will still not be on the ballot. Anyone wishing to vote for her must write it in.

There will be several contested local races in the November general election. They include:

United States House of Representatives District 1

• Tracey Mann (R))
• Paul Buskirk (D)

Kansas Senate District 24

• J.R. Claeys (R)
• John Baker (D)

Kansas House of Representatives 69th District

• Clarke Sanders (R)
• Lori Blake (D)

Saline County Commissioner District 2

• Annie Grevas (R)
• Kathleen Malone Crouch (Write-In)

_ _ _