Frank Cownie
Encyclopedia
Thomas Michael Franklin "Frank" Cownie (born 1948) is the current mayor
of Des Moines, Iowa
in the United States
.
He owns and operates a Cownie Furs, a store that has been in his family for generations.
Cownie is a Des Moines native. He grew up on the city's west side, attending Theodore Roosevelt High School
and Iowa State University
. He came from a political family; both of his parents served on the city's school board.
Prior to serving as mayor, he served for two years as an at-large member of the Des Moines City Council. He also served several terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission and was chairman of Downtown Des Moines, Inc.
While Iowa's city elections are non-partisan, Cownie is a Democrat
. He narrowly finished 2nd in a six-way jungle primary in 2003, and later defeated Councilwoman Christine Hensley by a nine-point margin. He was re-elected in 2007 with nearly 80 percent of the vote, receiving only marginal competition from Socialist Worker candidate Diana Newberry.http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0FE8F5D57AEDFE84&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=12
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
He owns and operates a Cownie Furs, a store that has been in his family for generations.
Cownie is a Des Moines native. He grew up on the city's west side, attending Theodore Roosevelt High School
Theodore Roosevelt High School (Des Moines)
Theodore Roosevelt High School, usually referred to simply as Roosevelt High School or TRHS, is a secondary school located on the west side of Des Moines, Iowa...
and Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
. He came from a political family; both of his parents served on the city's school board.
Prior to serving as mayor, he served for two years as an at-large member of the Des Moines City Council. He also served several terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission and was chairman of Downtown Des Moines, Inc.
While Iowa's city elections are non-partisan, Cownie is a Democrat
Iowa Democratic Party
The Iowa Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Iowa.-Current elected officials:Iowa Democrats are in control of the Iowa Senate, one of the state's United States Senate seats, and three out of the state's five United States House of Representatives seats. ...
. He narrowly finished 2nd in a six-way jungle primary in 2003, and later defeated Councilwoman Christine Hensley by a nine-point margin. He was re-elected in 2007 with nearly 80 percent of the vote, receiving only marginal competition from Socialist Worker candidate Diana Newberry.http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0FE8F5D57AEDFE84&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=12
Electoral history
- 2003 Des Moines Mayoral Primary Election
- Christine Hensley 7,301 (36.5%)
- Frank Cownie 4,330 (21.7%)
- Mark McCormick 4,298 (21.5%)
- Gayle Collins 3,456 (17.29%)
- Peter M. Rose 388 (1.94%)
- Mary J. Martin 180 (0.9%)
- 2003 Des Moines Mayoral General Election
- Frank Cownie 16,581 (54.2%)
- Christine Hensley 13,848 (45.3%)
- 2007 Des Moines Mayoral General Election
- Frank Cownie 6,455 (79.0%)
- Diana Newberry 1,617 (19.8%)
External links
- Cownie statement made before a US House of Representative's subcommittee