Environmental attorney Josh Mandelbaum’s path to winning a Des Moines City Council seat got easier last month when Christine Hensley announced she was retiring. However, there’s now chatter about other potential candidates considering a run in the heavily-Democratic ward. Another Republican (or independent) may launch a bid, but it’s highly unlikely any would have the type of deep ties Hensley did that allowed her to win such a district. The eventual race may resemble a Democratic primary more than anything else.
Mandelbaum already has a significant head start, especially after his $110,000 fundraising haul in his campaign’s first three weeks. He brought many high-profile Des Moines Democrats to his team early on, including Sally Pederson as his campaign chair.
Today his campaign rolled out a new slate of endorsements of local Democratic elected officials, including every Polk County legislator who represents part of Ward 3. The full list is:
State Senator Tony Bisignano
State Senator Nate Boulton
State Senator Matt McCoy
State Senator Janet Petersen
State Representative Marti Anderson
State Representative Ruth Ann Gaines
State Representative Bruce Hunter
State Representative Jo Oldson
County Supervisor Tom Hockensmith
“One of the important roles of a Des Moines City Council member is to work with policymakers at the state and county level to further the interests of the residents of Des Moines,” Mandelbaum said in a press release. “I am honored to have the support and confidence of so many of the state and county policymakers who represent Des Moines. I look forward to working with them to make our community stronger and provide more opportunities to the residents of Des Moines.”
by Pat Rynard
Posted 5/2/17