Three candidates have filed for the Feb. 17 special election for an at-large West Des Moines City Council seat.
Shad Clayton, Fannette Elliott and Katherine Harrington are running for a term that ends Dec. 31, 2029.
State Sen. Renee Hardman vacated the at-large seat after she won a special election to represent Iowa Senate District 16, which includes parts of West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights. Hardman was the first Black City Council woman in West Des Moines and is Iowa’s first Black female senator.
The new council member would be sworn in March 2. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held March 17 between the top two vote-getters. The new council member would then be sworn in March 23.
Shad Clayton
Clayton is self employed, a substitute teacher with the West Des Moines Community School District and a youth sports coach, according to a news release.
He grew up in Keokuk, has lived in West Des Moines for more than 25 years and is an Iowa Army National Guard veteran, according to the release.
Clayton has previously worked in manufacturing, retail and customer service, and has served as vice president of a veteran support foundation and an executive board member with the West Des Moines Historical Society, according to the release.
He ran as a Republican in 2022 to represent Iowa Senate District 16 but lost in the primary.
Fannette Elliott
Elliott is a West Des Moines school board member who was elected in 2021 and reelected in 2025. She also is a special education substitute assistant with the school district, according to a news release.
She has lived in West Des Moines for 35 years but also lived in Valley Junction when she was a child.
She has had a more than 40-year career in business management, including in retail, insurance and service.
Katherine Harrington
Harrington is president and CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
She has a background in marketing, leadership and community engagement, according to the Greater Des Moines Partnership and her LinkedIn profile.
She also has been a board president for Ballet Des Moines, board chair of the south central region of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and founding board member for the Blood, Sweat & Beers Iowa 5K.
Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at PSitter@usatodayco.com. Find out more about him online in the Register’s staff directory.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 3 candidates running for West Des Moines City Council’s open seat
Reporting by Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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