Andrew Dunn appointed to Iowa City Council

IOWA CITY — Andrew Dunn is joining the Iowa City Council as its newest member.

The council unanimously appointed Dunn after a nomination process at a special meeting Tuesday. Dunn, 24, then was sworn in and took a seat at the dais for the scheduled work session and formal meeting.

Twenty-one residents applied to fill the council vacancy. Council members then narrowed the pool of applicants to seven finalists. The finalists were Dunn, Na Li, Mary Mascher, Sean McRoberts, Elizabeth Miglin, Joshua Moe and Mandi Remington.

Each of the finalists was invited to give a 10-minute presentation at Tuesday’s special meeting about why they were interested in the position.

Council members then went through an informal nomination and voting process before taking a formal vote to select a new member.

One year is left on the four-year, at-large council term, which runs through Jan. 2, 2024.

The council voted unanimously in November to fill the vacancy by appointment instead of holding a special election. Dunn succeeds Janice Weiner, who resigned after being elected a state senator to represent District 45.

Dunn said he has spent the last decade working to improve his community. His interest in politics stems from his family’s experience during the 2008 recession. Dunn’s parents lost their jobs and their home when the recession hit.

Dunn, a seventh-generation Iowan, said he decided in 2012 he needed to get involved in politics because working families like his weren’t being advocated for.

Dunn recently ran in the Democratic primary to represent Iowa House District 90 but lost to Adam Zabner, who now holds the seat.

“I've dedicated a lot of my time to advocating for working families like my own,” Dunn said Tuesday. “I applied for this open Iowa City Council seat for the same reason I ran for state House in 2022 because the government should work for us.”

In his council application, Dunn said renters’ issues and affordable housing are top of mind. He brought up how he would be the only renter on the council, as well as represent young professionals.

Dunn said the community faces a “multitude of challenges,” including social and environmental, but the city’s strategic plan is equipped to address these challenges.

He brought up the city’s plans to expand public transportation, making the community safer for pedestrians and expanding opportunities for communities of color to advance economically.

Dunn serves on the boards of the Iowa Farmers Union and Sustainable Iowa Land Trust. He works at a scientific manufacturing company and serves as a legislative aide for state Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines.

Working as a legislative aide, Dunn said, has given him experience with the budgeting process and would give the council a “seat to some of the most critical issues affecting local government in the upcoming session.”

Dunn added that his experience with nonprofits and state government will allow him to “hit the ground running” on the council as budget discussions for fiscal 2024 continue.

He also would like to work to establish a city youth advisory body that “empowers students from diverse backgrounds and schools to be engaged in the political process at every level.”

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