Weak Incumbents Lose Council Elections – Hensley’s Mayoral Hopes in Tatters

This week’s runoff elections have not garnered a whole lot of attention, but the results do provide a certain insight as to the mood of the electorate.

Incumbents fell short in many races, some of whom have served for decades. In Des Moines, law student Halley Griess beat Tom Vlassis who was elected to the council when Griess was 3. In West Des Moines, 20 year council veteran Robert Parks lost to Kevin Trevillyan who Parks had narrowly defeated four years ago.

Parks’ campaign was dealt its death blow by opponents who were able to paint Parks as out of touch and slow to respond.

Vlassis, however, lost his race all by himself. During the CIETC scandal, Vlassis told state legislators he was nothing more than a “rubber-stamp” as the city’s board member on the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium. Archie Brooks, one of Vlassis’ city council colleagues, is in jail for his part in the debacle. It should come as no surprise to Vlassis that the stink from CIETC was not going to be washed away easily.

Griess and Trevillyan deserve credit for running hard and for doing what they needed to do to win. But, they would be wise to remember that their victory is due, in large part, to how the voters viewed those they challenged. When Griess and Trevillyan take their seats at the council table in January, they become the incumbents and the voters will be watching them. They won’t be running against weak incumbents four years from now. It will be their record that is being interpreted by their opponents.

Another interesting outcome in Des Moines was Skip Moore’s victory over Leisha Barcus for the vacant at-large seat. Barcus was the top vote getter in November, but Eastside Moore came back and defeated her easily. I would never want Register columnist Marc Hansen to think he writes an insightful column so let’s keep this between us – Hansen nailed it in his November 24 piece. Barcus ran a campaign that embraced the Westside. She looked and sounded like Councilman Christine Hensley’s clone. The voters’ rejection of Barcus is a loud and unmistakable warning shot for Hensley. The recycling trucks come next week. It would not surprise me if Hensley’s blue bin is filled with aging Hensley for Mayor yard signs.

This entry was first published as a Des Moines Register blog entry.