Here's who's running for office in Iowa City, University Heights general elections

IOWA CITY — A primary election will not be required in the Iowa City and University Heights city elections in November.

Iowa City voters will elect representatives to two at-large council seats and a District B seat, which includes the east part of Iowa City. Each seat is for a four-year term that expires in 2030.

Iowa City has a seven-member council that includes four at-large members and three district members. District council members must live in specified districts but are chosen in the general election by voters citywide.

In Iowa City, the mayor is elected by council members every two years, when a new council meets at the beginning of the calendar year.

The city requires a primary if five or more candidates are seeking an at-large seat, or if three or more candidates file for a district seat.

In District B, incumbent Shawn Harmsen has filed for re-election against challenger Amy Hospodarsky, the director of Crowded Closet, a nonprofit thrift store in Iowa City.

Council member Megan Alter and Mayor Bruce Teague, who hold the two at-large seats, also have filed to run for re-election.

The at-large challengers are Newman Abuissa, a transportation engineer at the Iowa Department of Transportation, and Clara Reynen, a graduate student at the University of Iowa.

Candidates are not finalized until Sept. 2, which is the withdrawal and challenge deadline for both cities.

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University Heights

In University Heights, residents elect a mayor and five council members. Mayor Louise Fromm, seeking re-election, was the only person to file for the mayoral office.

Members of the City Council seeking re-election are Liesa Moore, Tim Schroeder and Doug Swailes.

Mackenzie Dwyer and Nicholas Herbold also filed for a seat on the five-member council.

A primary election would have been required if three or more people filed for mayor or if 11 or more people filed for City Council.

Absentee ballot requests now available

From now until 5 p.m. Oct. 20, eligible voters can request an absentee ballot from the county auditor’s office. Other early voting information still is being finalized.

Election Day is Nov. 4. All absentee ballots must be turned in by 8 p.m. that day to be counted.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com

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