Meet the 5 candidates running for the at-large Des Moines City Council seat in 2024
Five candidates are running in a special election to fill the at-large Des Moines City Council seat previously held by Mayor Connie Boesen.
The candidates are Dr. Claudia Addy, Benjamin Clarke, Justyn Lewis, Mike Simonson and Rose Marie Smith. Robert Pate will be on the ballot but he has suspended his campaign.
The winner will serve the remainder of Boesen's term, which runs through January 2026. She vacated the seat when she was sworn in as mayor this year.
The Des Moines Register asked each candidate to respond to questions about why they are running and multiple issues facing the city. Their answers may be lightly edited for clarity or length.
The special election is March 19. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voter Guide: Everything you need to know to vote in the Des Moines City Council special election
Dr. Claudia Addy
AGE: 74
GREW UP: Des Moines
CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD: North of Grand
EDUCATION: Roosevelt High School; University of Iowa; Des Moines University
CAREER: Retired physician/surgeon. Currently works multiple part-time jobs including at the Iowa Events Center and at voting polls.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Volunteered with Des Moines Park & Recreation Department working in a greenhouse, on bicycle trails and neighborhood corner plantings. Other volunteer experiences include being a candy striper for Des Moines hospitals; participating in the March of Dimes, a door-to-door campaign to eradicate polio; the American Heart Association; and the Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative.
Benjamin Clarke
AGE: 53
GREW UP: Norwalk, Iowa
CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD: Bloomfield/Southridge
EDUCATION: Iowa Lakes Community College
CAREER: Merchandising assistant at Schmidt's Honey Farm in State Center; employee at Gingerich Building Materials in Chariton
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Started a tourism group; founder of Iowa Firm Foundation, an education nonprofit; served on the Drake University Adult Literacy Center advisory council
Justyn Lewis
AGE: 34
GREW UP: Des Moines' East side
CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD: Beaverdale
EDUCATION: Bachelor's in political science from Iowa State University; certified public manager from Drake; New Leaders Council fellow
CAREER: Small business owner, Lewis Lawn & Labor, Inc; nonprofit leader
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Candidate for Des Moines City Council at-large seat in 2021
Mike Simonson
AGE: 64
GREW UP: Rockford, Illinois
CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD: Greenwood
EDUCATION: Iowa State University
CAREER: Architecture
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Served on Des Moines city government commissions and boards including Plan and Zoning Commission, Parks and Recreation and Housing Appeals Board; community boards including Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Food Bank of Iowa, One Iowa, Des Moines Art Center, Hoyt Sherman Place, Iowa Stage Theatre Company, Salisbury House & Garden, Brenton Arboretum and Trees Forever
Rose Marie Smith
AGE: Did not provide
GREW UP: Des Moines
CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD: Cheatom Park
EDUCATION: Computer programming, DMAAC
CAREER: Self-employed computer programmer, United States States Postal Service
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Prayer intercessor at Epaphras Prayer House, Inc.; ran for Ward 1 Des Moines City Council in 2023
Why are you running?
Claudia Addy: I am running because I believe I am the best person to carry on the good work the citizens recently voted the current council in to do. This abbreviated term holder should not be one that “upsets the apple cart” but one that complements work in progress. In addition, I have formulated a couple of thoughts on the waste recycling program and neighborhood beautification. I believe that I can compliment the work that the City Council has done.
Benjamin Clarke: Taxes are too high. Need industry. Want to make a difference in the community and give back to the community. I'd like to work to better mental health in the community, bring trade school training, and more services for veterans.
Justyn Lewis: As a nonprofit leader, small business owner and community activist, I am running for the Des Moines City Council to break barriers and build bridges between city government and our communities. I believe in Des Moines and am committed to addressing housing accessibility, government transparency, supporting small businesses, advocating for restorative justice, enhancing affordable health care access, promoting eco-urban sustainability, and eliminating food deserts to create a more inclusive, equitable, and thriving community.
Mike Simonson: Des Moines is one of those special cities, large enough to offer the amenities of larger cities, yet small enough where one knows neighbors, and one can be engaged in this place we call home. As an architect who has worked with city staff and various boards, I see what is working well, and what needs improvement. We have had a change in leadership in the mayor’s office; change creates an opportunity to think big, bring people together, and affect change. I have the abilities and relationships to contribute to the change effort for the betterment of Des Moines.
Rose Marie Smith: I want to make a difference in the lives of citizens in the city of Des Moines. "I am my brother's keeper."
What is the future of public safety here and would you support a citizens' review board?
Claudia Addy: Citizens review boards are always welcomed prefaced by written agenda.
Benjamin Clarke: Yes, need a citizens' review board. Need more mental health services, a community garden, to cut down on violence, veterans' assistance and relationship-building with authority figures (police officers).
Justyn Lewis: Yes, I support a community review board. I am truly passionate about addressing the racial disparities within our criminal justice system. A pivotal step forward would be the establishment of a community review board, equipped with actual authority, allowing it to subpoena documents and conduct hearings — a board with real teeth. It is my firm conviction that such a board is essential to bring about accountability in our system.
Mike Simonson: Public safety is evolving, including in Des Moines, where we have implemented a system that determines if a police officer or a mental health provider is the proper entity to respond to calls. Recruiting and maintaining a full police force is a national problem and will be an ongoing challenge. Yes, I definitely support a Citizens’ Review Board. As an architect, my work has to be reviewed by building inspectors — people who know what the standard should look like and can identify when that standard has not been applied properly. That’s what a Citizens’ Review Board would do.
Rose Marie Smith: How did "racial profiling begin?" Since slavery. How did "driving while Black in Des Moines begin?" Since the 1920s. Yes, I support a citizen review board. The concept and implementation is iron (citizens) sharpen iron (DM police). Who is victorious? The DM police and the citizens of Des Moines.
What steps would you take to help community members experiencing homelessness?
Claudia Addy: You have to look at each condition separately. If their condition is because they're having legal problems, then that would be one solution. If they're homeless because of financial situations, that's another. So, there are many reasons for this problem as there are encampments, and I do not presume to have one answer for them all.
Benjamin Clarke: Need little dwelling (tiny home) and to provide drug addiction treatment and job assistance programs. The city should support organizations such as Joppa and other affordable housing initiatives.
Justyn Lewis: It is important to remember the human aspect of homelessness and recognize that every individual deserves secure housing. Addressing homelessness involves a dual approach where we can ensure that individuals not only secure housing but also gain access to essential resources like food, employment opportunities, and mental health services. Although Des Moines has taken steps in this direction we still need additional components, particularly an increase in affordable housing options and diverse housing types, including apartments.
Mike Simonson: For the last several years, I have been on Joppa’s advisory board, helping them to create the facilities they need to provide aid, services and supplies. I am working with them to design a tiny house village for additional safe housing for those who have no other immediate alternative. There is much that can be done from the city and council level to expand housing needs for those in immediate need of secure housing. The homeless are our neighbors, and we should bolster the efforts of the many organizations successfully addressing these needs, including the rapid rehousing program.
Rose Marie Smith: According to the World Economic Forum, ending homelessness is a realistic policy goal. Suspending eligibility criteria (helps). Collaboration is key to ending homelessness. Eviction bans work. A clear mandate is needed. These are great recommendations because homelessness is all over the United States.
Do you support a franchise fee to support DART? If not, what alternatives do you propose?
Claudia Addy: I am passing on the franchise fee for the time being. I'm not trying to avoid a tough question, I just need education on this topic.
Benjamin Clarke: No franchise (fee). The Des Moines area suburbs should be involved in the bus system. We might need a van or another kind of vehicle to provide right-size transportation. We could also bring alternative transportation methods such as a trolley car that goes down Fleur Drive to the Des Moines International Airport.
Justyn Lewis: Addressing current DART issues is more important than simply supporting a franchise fee. I support DART and I would like to see improvement on the agency's quality of services and budget management.
Mike Simonson: Yes, I support a franchise fee, which will support DART. It is the only more immediate method to get to the funding level in a short term, so we can do the necessary in-depth planning to move to long-term stability. DART, supported and used by the entire metro area, needs to be a reliable transportation system. Seventy percent of our neighbors who utilize DART have no other means of transportation to work, shop and recreate.
Rose Marie Smith: I am of the 55% that (believe) the city of Des Moines should implement the (franchise) fee and find additional revenue to expand services. According to the results of a DART survey, 92% of Des Moines residents who responded said, "City leaders should provide more funding to maintain or expand DART services." I support Des Moines residents and urge Des Moines City Council to fund DART and avoid cuts concerns over the (sustainability) of Iowa's "only" regional transit system. What is DART's compromise? So let's go to the table and talk!
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Where Des Moines City Council at-large candidates stand on issues
