City Elections: Cedar Rapids

The state ethics board issued a reprimand and civil penalty of $200 each to former Cedar Rapids mayoral candidate Amara Andrews and Linn County Democrats chair Bret Nilles for a campaign mailer advocating against then-candidate Tiffany O’Donnell.

Prompted by a contentious and costly local election cycle, the panel reviewing Cedar Rapids’ charter is exploring whether to recommend doing away with runoff elections and instead establish ranked-choice voting -- should Iowa lawmakers allow it.

When Tiffany O’Donnell’s four-year term as Cedar Rapids mayor starts Jan. 1, she will be the only newcomer on the nine-member City Council, but she sees her fresh perspective as an asset.

Women Lead Change Chief Executive Officer Tiffany O’Donnell staved off competition from TrueNorth employee Amara Andrews to win the runoff election and become the next Cedar Rapids mayor, only the third woman to serve in the role.

Tiffany O’Donnell raised three times as much as her opponent Amara Andrews in the run-up to the Tuesday runoff election that will decide Cedar Rapids’ next mayor.

The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board is investigating complaints that three write-in campaigns for uncontested Cedar Rapids City Council seats failed to file paperwork after seemingly spending over $1,000.

Marking a shift in tone from previous forums where partisan divides emerged, the two remaining candidates for Cedar Rapids mayor, Amara Andrews and Tiffany O’Donnell, focused on their visions for improving the city in the last forum before the Nov. 30 runoff.

Linn County voters on Nov. 2 approved the gaming referendum by a slimmer margin compared with 2013, but the likely developer says he and other investors are pressing forward with Cedar Rapids on identifying a casino location and preparing a license application for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

After his narrow loss on Election Day Nov. 2, Mayor Brad Hart has endorsed Women Lead Change Chief Executive Officer Tiffany O’Donnell to assume the city’s top elected role. O’Donnell faces Amara Andrews in the Nov. 30 runoff.

Moving from a contentious and costly first phase of the race for Cedar Rapids mayor into a narrow window to campaign before the Nov. 30 runoff, it’s “about the issues” for Amara Andrews and Tiffany O’Donnell. The two face hurdles of fundraising more and getting out the vote again with the holiday season likely to disrupt voters’ attention spans.

Tiffany O’Donnell, the top vote getter in Cedar Rapids’ mayoral race Tuesday, is guaranteed a spot in the Nov. 30 runoff election. Amara Andrews finished with a 24-vote lead over incumbent Brad Hart — casting uncertainty over who will take the second spot once provisional ballots are counted.

Only Walford residents voted no, by one-vote margin