City Council Candidates

Iowa City Council Deadline

No last-second candidates in Iowa City on today's deadline, so with yesterday's filing by two candidates the field is set: seven in the at large race, a clash of contrasts in District A, and Jim Throgmorton unopposed in District C and returning to the city council after an 16 year hiatus.

Since I haven't alienated any readers in at least an hour (only a BEARS fan would schedule his speech against the Packers season opener) I'm doing my now ritual drill of party-IDing the candidates. No word yet from University Heights, which also had a deadline today.

At Large: vote for two. Top four go to November 8, top two on November 8 elected.

Josh Eklow, 25, near downtown, Democrat. "Recent graduate student."

Richard Finley, 55, north side, Democrat. Rockwell Collins project manager.

Matt Hayek, 41, near east side, Democrat. Attorney, incumbent seeking second term; mayor last two years. (The other incumbent, Michael Wright, is not running.)

Mark McCallum, 50, near east side, Democrat. Realtor and developer. Lost a very close 2009 District B race to Connie Champion.

Jarrett Mitchell, 33, Longfellow area, Libertarian. Coffee shop owner; advocate for allowing backyard chicken coops.

Raj Patel, 20, no party, downtown. Student, active in the anti-21 campaign last year. Don't dismiss as Just Another Student; his campaign kickoff next week is at Marc Moen's condo at the top of the Vetro...

Michelle L. Payne, 45, east side, Republican. Zoning commission member, works for Mid-American. (If 2007 had turned out different this would have been Terry Smith's re-electon year...)

Instant analysis: Assuming a Hayek re-elect, who's the business community's second vote: McCallum or Payne?

District A (incumbent Ross Wilburn not running)

Rick Dobyns, 55, west side, Democrat. Doctor. Ran for council in 2005, finishing first in the primary but lost in the general. Main ringleader of the 2007 21 bar vote (the cycle when the pro-21 side petitioned and lost.)

Steve Soboroff, 61, south side, Democrat. Radio station owner and on-air personality. Ran in 2003, getting through a primary but finishing fourth in the general.

Analysis: They should charge admission for the steel cage match debates.

District C (incumbent Regenia Bailey not running)

Jim Throgmorton, 66, Democrat, north side. Retired professor. Elected to a two year council term in 1993, did not run again in 1995. A prohibitive enough favorite that he cleared the field.