The ballot is now set for the special election to fill the vacancy on the Iowa City Council left by the resignation of Andrew Dunn, the councilmember for District C. Three residents of the district — Sharon DeGraw, Ross Nusser and Oliver Weilein — filed the necessary candidate paperwork for the election before the deadline on Friday afternoon.  

The date of the special election is Tuesday, March 4, but because there are three candidates in the race, there will be a primary election on Tuesday, Feb. 4, with the top two finishers proceeding to the March election. All registered voters in Iowa City will be able to vote in the March election, but only residents of District C, which includes downtown and the Northside, can vote in the primary. 

Early voting in the primary will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The Johnson County Auditor’s Office in the County Administration Building (913 S Dubuque St) will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, will be the final day of early voting for the primary election.

The candidates

Sharon DeGraw

Sharon DeGraw has lived on the Northside for 25 years. She is a freelance book designer and editor, and owns and operates Empyrean Press. DeGraw has long been active on the Northside as a member of the Northside Neighborhood Association, and has worked on historic preservation issues as a member of both the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission and the Friends of Historic Preservation. 

As of noon on Monday, DeGraw did not yet have a campaign site online, but in a email to Little Village she cited growth-related issues as being top priorities. 

“Although decisions made on affordable housing and housing in general are very important aspects of being on City Council, attracting people to live in IC with high-quality jobs is seldom talked about,” DeGraw said. 

DeGraw said Iowa City is “poised to grow” and it “needs to happen with equity and fairness for everyone.” She said that plans need to be made “so that Iowa City has attractive business/cultural hubs with well-designed neighborhoods outside of the downtown… This would alleviate some of the pressure to redevelop neighborhoods contiguous to the downtown. That would help with maintaining IC’s older, established neighborhoods and keep them relatively affordable.”

Ross Nusser

Except for his time studying at the University of Arizona, Ross Nusser has lived in Iowa City his entire life. He is a co-founder of Urban Acres Real Estate, and lives on the Northside with his wife and their two children. 

Nusser has spent many years volunteering his services at the Housing Fellowship, which supports people with limited incomes searching for affordable housing, as well as serving on the boards of Successful Living, a nonprofit that provides services for adults with mental illnesses, and Community and Family Resources, a treatment provider for those with dealing substance abuse and other addictive behaviors. In his spare time, Nusser assists at Friendly Farm, an organic farm located in Iowa City that grows vegetables and flowers. 

“I am running for City Council to ensure Iowa City is a place where everyone can thrive. By prioritizing mental health, affordable housing, and access to quality local food, we can build a stronger, more inclusive community,” Nusser said in a Dec. 31 news release announcing his run. “I am committed to listening, collaborating, and taking action to meet the needs of all residents.”

Oliver Weilein

Oliver Weilein has been working as an advocate for affordable housing and other community priorities in Iowa City for more than a decade. He is a founding board member of the Iowa City Tenants Union, which advocates on behalf of renters and assists them in conflicts with landlords.  Weilein also serves on the board of the arts nonprofit Public Space One, and volunteers as a frontline advocate for the Emma Goldman Clinic. He also volunteers at the Iowa Farm Sanctuary. 

Weilein lives on the Northside with his partner, Juliette. A professional musician playing in several local punk bands, he is well-known on the Iowa City music scene for his work organizing benefit shows to support arts organizations and raise funds to meet the needs of unhoused people. For the past eight years, he’s worked at a caregiver at Systems Unlimited, caring for people with mental disabilities.  

“I’m running because now is the time to meet the moment by fighting for our vulnerable neighbors who are being directly threatened by the state and federal government,” Weilein said in a statement on his campaign site. “Iowa City can make real inroads towards affordable housing by addressing zoning policy, building permanent supportive housing and protecting tenants’ rights.”

Weilein is not accepting campaign contributions, and is asking people who are interested in supporting him to donate the money they would have contributed to Emma Goldman Clinic, Shelter House, Immigrant Welcome Network, Iowa Trans Mutual Aid or Prairielands Freedom Fund.