West Des Moines school board member Fannette Elliott was elected to serve on the City Council.
Elliott earned 58% of the vote in a special election Tuesday, March 17, according to unofficial results from Polk, Dallas and Warren counties. Katherine Harrington, president and CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, earned 42%, unofficial results show.
Elliott, 68, is a retired marketing manager and a part-time special education substitute assistant who has served on the West Des Moines school board since 2021.
“I am feeling on top of the world. I am elated,” she said from her watch party at The Tavern II on Tuesday night. “It’s a dream to be able to serve the West Des Moines community.”
She previously told the Des Moines Register her priorities include promoting “smart economic growth,” expanding affordable housing, supporting police officers, firefighters and EMTs, and investing in schools. Though she has her priorities, she said she intends to start by listening and absorbing.
“I want to feel the landscape out,” Elliott said. “It’s a team effort.”
Elliott, who will be sworn in on March 23, will serve until Dec. 31, 2029. She takes over the term of Renee Hardman, who 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.
Tuesday’s election was the second for the seat. No winner was declared in a special election on Feb. 17 because no candidate earned a majority. Lowest vote-getter, Shad Clayton, was eliminated from the race.
Elliott will resign her school board position to serve on the City Council.
“It was a tough decision, but I just feel that my contributions on the school board have made a difference,” she said. “Now I just want to widen the scope to include more community members.”
In her first run for office, Harrington, who also serves as president of the WDM Chamber of Commerce Foundation, previously told the Register she ran to promote smart growth in the city and bring more affordable housing. She said she’d prioritize long-term investment in infrastructure, housing and workforce development.
Elliott and Harrington both are Democrats, according to their campaign filings, though City Council seats are non-partisan positions.
Elliott’s campaign raised nearly $10,000 total. Her support included West Des Moines and metro lawmakers.
Harrington made a five-figure fundraising push for her campaign after February’s special election. As of Feb. 12, her campaign had $6,205. But by March 12, she had raised an additional $14,050. Much of her donations came from local business and real estate figures.
Reporter Phillip Sitter contributed to this story.
Kim Norvell is the communities editor for the Register. Reach her at knorvell@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Fannette Elliott elected to West Des Moines City Council
Reporting by Kim Norvell, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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