Bruce Teague reelected Iowa City mayor

IOWA CITY — Bruce Teague was reelected mayor of Iowa City, in a 4-3 vote, during a special formal meeting Tuesday.

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Teague will begin his fourth consecutive term as mayor, after having first been elected mayor in 2020. He joined the council in 2018 after winning a special election.

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.

“This is an important moment for Iowa City,” Teague said at the meeting. “We are continuing conversations around housing growth, public safety, social service, mental health, climate action, infrastructure and belonging. My focus has been on supporting Council and doing its work with clarity, care and mutual respect, even when different perspectives exist.”

Council members Megan Alter, Shawn Harmsen and Josh Moe voted for Teague’s re-election. Teague also voted for himself.

Council members Laura Bergus and Oliver Weilein voted for Mazahir Salih. Salih also voted for herself.

“I have shown up prepared, engaged and committed to thoughtful decision making, even when those decisions were difficult to uphold,” Salih said at the meeting. “And throughout my time on a council, I have made it a priority to bring more people into civic life who are unfamiliar with the city process or who feel intimidated. … I actively seek input before making decision, especially from communities who are often left out of policy conversation.”

Alter to serve as Mayor pro tem

Alter was elected mayor pro tem in a 4-3 vote. She was first elected to council in 2021, and previously served as mayor pro tem from 2022 to 2024.

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“As mayor pro tem, I believe my responsibility to you, to staff, to the mayor and ultimately to all the residents of Iowa City, is to help create more internal cohesion, deliberate focus and transparency about priorities,” Alter told her fellow council members. “I see mayor pro tem’s role to help ensure that all council member interests are surfaced, so that in addition to our strategic plan and our budget, councilor driven priorities are also given clear attention, so that as a council, we are working better as a full entity.”

Harmsen, Moe, Teague and Alter voted in favor of Alter’s appointment.

Bergus, Weilein and Salih voted for Salih, who was seeking re-election as mayor pro tem. Voting for the mayor pro tem position immediately followed the mayoral election.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com

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