Rob X. Barron was elected to represent Des Moines’ northwest neighborhoods, which will make him the first Latino to hold a seat on the Des Moines City Council.
Barron earned 61% of the votes, according to unofficial results. CeCe Ibson got 31% and Dudley Muhammad received 7%.
Barron, 46, executive director of an education nonprofit and former Des Moines Public School Board member, ran to restore a “vision” to the council in a city that has been “running in place for too long” and losing families to the suburbs, he wrote in a Des Moines Register candidate questionnaire. Barron wants to make Des Moines the “best place in the world to raise a family,” he told the Register’s editorial board Oct. 10.
Among his priorities are strengthening the city’s childcare system, pushing for more affordable housing, supporting public transit infrastructure and addressing food deserts in Ward 1, according to his campaign website.
Barron, Ibson and Muhammad ran to fill outgoing City Council member Chris Coleman’s seat in Ward 1. Coleman, who was elected in a 2023 special election when former council member Indira Sheumaker resigned from her seat, announced this summer he would not run for reelection. Ward 1 covers Des Moines neighborhoods including Beaverdale, Merle Hay, River Bend and a majority of Drake.
With Barron, Ward 1, will have new representative for the third time in four years.
Barron, who celebrated his victory at The Dam Pub in Beaverdale, said that he was the first Latino elected to a Polk County office when he was elected to the school board in 2013. Being the first Latino elected to the City Council will pave the way for future generations, he said.
Barron said he looks forward to meeting with fellow council members and discussing how to make the council more transparent, as well as focusing on issues like housing and homelessness and the upcoming budget.
“I am so honored to be in service to my community, and I will not let the people of Ward 1 down,” he said.
Ibson, who runs her own law firm in the Beaverdale neighborhood, ran to address housing and food insecurity, and strengthen the local economy and neighborhood organizations. Muhammad, who is retired, said the city should prioritize homelessness, public safety and first responders.
In another Des Moines City Council race, Mike Simonson claimed victory over Endi Montalvo-Martinez for one of the two at-large council seats. Unlike the ward seats, the at-large positions oversee the entire city, and any Des Moines resident can vote in the election.
Incumbent Josh Mandelbaum, who ran uncontested, will reclaim his Ward 3 seat to represent the city’s southwest neighborhoods, as well as the downtown and East Village.
Rob Barron sees City Council platform as a way to better the lives of Des Moines families
Barron, whose public service and career have been dedicated to education, said he had no interest in running for City Council until he realized the impact the governing body can have in bettering the lives of families, he told the editorial board on Oct. 10.
“You can’t always accept the framing of the job the way that it’s being done by the people that are in there,” he said of the City Council. “The people that do this well are the ones who are going to see obligations and expectations of the job that they’re running for but then also see the potential to do things that haven’t been done before.”
During his campaign, Barron highlighted the ways the City Council can fill gaps schools can’t, particularly in the area of childcare, which he says is both a family and an economic issue.
Barron said children have access to public education when they turn 5, but childcare opportunities for younger children are not guaranteed. The city should consider filling in that need by, for example, providing property tax abatement for new childcare facilities with the condition that the facilities serve only families in Des Moines and maintain affordable rates, he said. Addressing the problem could put Des Moines at a competitive advantage over suburbs, as well as surrounding Midwest communities.
Barron said the city also needs to invest in neighborhoods by building more walkable streets, revitalizing the city’s corridors and prioritizing public safety. He said he wants to see the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority one day become residents’ choice transportation method.
Barron raised $61,931 in cash contributions for his campaign as of Oct. 30, according to filings with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. Some of Barron’s high-dollar donations came from political groups, business leaders and unions.
Mandelbaum also endorsed him.
Barron sat on the Des Moines Public School Board from 2013 to 2021, serving as chair and vice chair. He currently serves as the executive director of the Seed Coalition, a regional coalition of higher education institutions, and is the founder of the Latino Political Network. Barron earned his bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College.
Barron, who grew up in Des Moines, lives in the Beaverdale neighborhood with his wife, son and daughter.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Rob Barron claims Ward 1 seat, becomes first Latino to serve on Des Moines City Council
Reporting by Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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