Freerks, Teague advance in Iowa City Council primary

IOWA CITY - Ann Freerks and Bruce Teague will be facing each other for the open seat on the Iowa City Council.

The two were the top votegetters in Tuesday's special primary and will face each other in the Oct. 2 special election for the at-large council seat.

The election is to fill the seat formerly held by Kingsley Botchway II, who resigned to take a position with Waterloo schools. The term runs through 2021.

Three other people sought the seat - Ryan Hall, Christine Ralston and Brianna Wills - forcing the primary, which had a turnout of 3,964, or 8.7 percent of the city's registered voters

Freerks, 51, works for the University of Iowa's Office of Strategic Communication and previously served on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. She was the top votegetter, with 1,062 votes, or 26.9 percent.

For the remainder of her campaign, Freerks said her messaging to voters will be much the same as her primary campaign - touting her experience.

'I've had 17 years of experience on P and Z, and I think people respect and understand that that experience is meaningful,” Freerks said Tuesday night. 'I want to be here to serve the community. There's no big surprises. I've tried to be open and honest about everything so far, and I just want to continue to do that.”

Teague, 42, is the owner of Caring Hands and More, which helps clients with home health care, professional cleaning and other tasks. He narrowly advanced, with 815 votes, or 20.6 percent, just above Ralston's 797 votes, or 20.2 percent.

Hall tallied 558 votes and Wills 714 votes.

In the next month, Teague says he wants to meet as many Iowa City residents as possible. He said he's spent his campaign hearing what people both love and want to change about Iowa City.

'Now that I get to go a little further, it's time to get to work, and I'm looking so forward to it,” said Teague, who touted his identity as a black gay man as a strength on the council. 'We have some concerned people that really care about Iowa City, and I want to listen to those individuals and make sure that I'm bringing all the yeses' and nos' perspectives to the table so we can definitely discuss them.”

Iowa City's seven council members earn a salary of $7,259.

The estimated cost of the primary and council elections is estimated at $60,000.

l Comments: (319) 339-3172; maddy.arnold@thegazette.com