Iowa City Council member Andrew Dunn resigns due to professional reasons

IOWA CITY --- Iowa City Council member Andrew Dunn will resign from his seat on Jan. 1, three years before his term expires.

“Over the last few months, my professional obligations within the labor movement have increased significantly,” he said Tuesday in a news release. “Heading into 2025, I expect these obligations and associated travel out of town to increase. I want to ensure that Iowa Citians get the representation they deserve.”

Dunn works as a labor representative, which he said can include negotiating contracts, working to solve labor disputes and helping to initiate strikes if workers chose to do so.

The Iowa City Council will work with city staff to fill the remainder of Dunn’s term for District C, which includes downtown Iowa City and north-central Iowa City. The seven-member council includes four at-large members and three members who must live in specified districts but are chosen in the general election by voters citywide.

The council either can fill Dunn’s vacancy through an appointment or call a special election. The council has yet to make a decision on which route to take.

If the council chooses to fill the vacancy through appointment, residents can petition for a special election. A petition would need to be filed within 14 days of an appointment.

In 2023, the council chose to fill a vacancy by appointment rather than a special election — citing time constraints, cost concerns and historically low turnout. The City Council accepted applications for the open position then gave each finalist a 10-minute presentation to the council before appointing a new council member.

That appointment process led to the council picking Dunn.

He was appointed after former council member Janice Weiner was elected to represent Iowa Senate District 45.

Dunn served in the at-large seat for the remainder of Weiner’s term, which was a little less than a year. He later was elected as the District C council member. His term was set to expire in January 2028 before he announced his resignation.

Before being on the council, Dunn ran in 2022 to represent Iowa House District 90, but lost in the Democratic primary to Adam Zabner.

“It has been an honor to serve the people of Iowa City and to work toward a vision of a community that exemplifies our progressive values of inclusivity, sustainability, and genuine care for one another,” Dunn said in his news release.

Dunn said he’s most proud of the council’s initiatives on affordable housing, business support and establishing fare-free transit during his time on the panel.

Iowa City established a two-year program in 2023 where it’s free to ride city buses. The council has expressed a desire to continue it beyond the pilot program.

“Although I am stepping down from this role, my commitment to Iowa City and its residents remains unwavering. I look forward to witnessing the continued success of our community and supporting its progress in any way I can,” Dunn said.

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