Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart announced on Tuesday he is seeking reelection for a second term in November.
“We survived quite a year together,” Hart said in a news release. “Cedar Rapids has, once again, proven its resilience. The strength and compassion I saw displayed over the last year has impressed and inspired me. It has been an honor to serve as Mayor and, with the support of the community, I want to continue to serve everyone in Cedar Rapids for another term.”
Hart was elected to his first term in 2017 after defeating former Cedar Rapids City Councilmember Monica Vernon in a runoff election, receiving more than 54 percent of the vote. The 2017 race initially had eight candidates vying for the position after former Mayor Ron Corbett announced he was not seeking a third term.
Hart is a recently retired business lawyer. His law career spanned nearly 40 years before he announced his retirement in late December. He spent the last 20 years practicing at Cedar Rapids law firm Bradley & Riley.
If elected to a second term as mayor, Hart said he has five main priorities.
• Supporting citizens and businesses with derecho recovery
• Attracting additional investments around the city to bring high-paying jobs to support families and build the tax base
• Focusing on street repairs and reconstruction with the efficient spending of local-option sales tax revenue
• Advancing equity in the police and fire departments and promoting on new initiatives to reduce violent crime
• Continuing to build the permanent flood protection system on both sides of the river and finding additional state and/or federal funding for that system, which incorporates recreational opportunities and amenities
There are four other city council seats that will be on the ballot later this year. Those seats include at-large, District 1, District 3 and District 5.
