Bailey Not Running

Bailey Not Running

It'll be three open seats for Iowa City Council this fall, as District C's Regeinia Bailey told supporters this week she will step down after two terms.

Bailey joins District A's Ross Wilburn and at-larger Michael Wright in not seeking re-election. The other member elected in 2007, Mayor Matt Hayek, announced yesterday he'll seek a second term.

Bailey was mayor in 2008 and 2009, through the Summer Of The Flood, which produced incriminating pictures of Bailey with George W. Bush touring the damage. She was also was the only no vote on the 21 bar ordinance.

This was a revolving door seat for a long stretch in the 1990s: Randy Larson, Bruno Pigott winning a half term in a 1993 special... Dean Thornberry beat him in `95, then Irv Pfab beat Thornberry in `99.

Bailey and Dean Shannon beat Pfab in the `03 primary, which is the only time that's happened in the three-plus decades of Iowa City's screwy convoluted district system (Insert standard rant here.) Bailey then won a solid victory over Shannon in the general and a second term unopposed in 2007.

A candidate would have to live in District C, which is basically (to oversimplify) the north side and downtown. This is the district with the best shot of getting a student through a primary, though to get elected you have to win city wide.

There have been some big ballot issues the last few years but we haven't had three open Iowa City council seats on one ballot since 1993. So this one could set the direct for the city for the better part of the decade.