Frank Cownie, Des Moines' longest-serving mayor, mulls another run

Frank Cownie is considering a run for a sixth term as Des Moines' mayor, he told Axios this week.

• He's leaning towards it but isn't quite ready to make an announcement.

State of play: Cownie has gained more international influence as an environmental advocate since the last election.

• Last year, he was named president of the Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), a network of thousands of local and regional governments across the world.
• He's behind a push to make DSM an example of how local leaders can lead environmental policies, including a recent goal for the city to end its use of fossil fuels by 2035.

What's happening: Some of Cownie’s supporters are urging him start planning now for next year's election.

Catch up fast: Cownie was a DSM plan and zoning commission member and a councilperson before he took office as mayor in 2004.

• He narrowly won reelection in a runoff against former state senator Jack Hatch in December 2019.