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Mayoral election in Des Moines, Iowa (2023)
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Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • How to run for office |
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| 2023 Des Moines elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: September 21, 2023 |
| General election: November 7, 2023 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor |
| Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections) |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2023 |
The city of Des Moines, Iowa, held a general election for mayor on November 7, 2023. The filing deadline for this election was September 21, 2023.
Elections
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Candidates and results
General election
General election for Mayor of Des Moines
Connie Boesen defeated Josh Mandelbaum, Denver Foote, and Christopher William Von Arx in the general election for Mayor of Des Moines on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Connie Boesen (Nonpartisan) | 48.2 | 14,507 | |
| Josh Mandelbaum (Nonpartisan) | 45.8 | 13,784 | ||
| Denver Foote (Nonpartisan) | 3.2 | 971 | ||
| Christopher William Von Arx (Nonpartisan) | 2.3 | 704 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 107 | ||
| Total votes: 30,073 | ||||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Iowa elections, 2023
November 7, 2023
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Josh Mandelbaum is serving his second term as the 3rd Ward Des Moines City Councilmember. Josh has led efforts to take strong local action on climate change, protect reproductive health care, make affordable housing more accessible, improve public safety, and make our transportation system work better for everyone. Des Moines Born & Raised Josh was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa and attended Des Moines Public Schools. He currently lives on the west side of Des Moines with his wife Katherine, son Liam, daughter Ayla, and black lab Truman. Policy Advisor to Governor Vilsack and Lt. Governor Pederson Josh served as a policy advisor in the Vilsack-Pederson administration and had a role in many of the administration’s accomplishments. His efforts helped thousands of Iowans receive increased access to health care through Medicaid, and improved mental health, family planning, and wellness care. Environmental Attorney Working for Clean Energy and Clean Water Josh works as a senior attorney for the Environmental Law and Policy Center. Josh is a leading voice for climate action and Iowa's clean energy economy. Josh is a strong advocate for improving Iowa’s water quality. He has successfully fought in court to protect and enforce water quality standards. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Des Moines in 2023.
Mayoral partisanship
Eighteen state capitals held mayoral elections in 2023, including 11 capitals that fell outside of the top 100 cities.
One state capital saw a change in mayoral partisan affiliation in 2023:
- Springfield, Illinois: Republican Misty Buscher defeated incumbent Democratic mayor Jim Langfelder in the April 4 general election.
After mayors elected in 2023 assumed office, there were 37 Democratic state capital mayors, six Republican mayors, one independent mayor, two nonpartisan mayors, and four mayors with unknown partisan affiliation.
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
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Candidate survey
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About the city
- See also: Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is a city in Polk County, Iowa. As of 2020, its population was 214,133.
City government
- See also: Council-manager government
The city of Des Moines utilizes a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[1]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Des Moines, Iowa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | Iowa | |
| Population | 214,133 | 3,190,369 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 88 | 55,853 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 73.3% | 89.1% |
| Black/African American | 11.4% | 3.7% |
| Asian | 6.5% | 2.5% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Other (single race) | N/A | 1.3% |
| Multiple | 5.3% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 14% | 6.2% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 86.7% | 92.5% |
| College graduation rate | 27.9% | 29.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $54,843 | $61,836 |
| Persons below poverty level | 16% | 11.1% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| Des Moines, Iowa | Iowa | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
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