Mandi Remington, a local activist in the Iowa City community, is running for one of the two at-large Iowa City City Council seats ahead of the election on Nov. 7.
Remington said in an Interview with The Daily Iowan that she plans to bring the perspective of low to moderate-income residents to the council.
Remington said she has been a mother of three children in Iowa City for the last 20 years, and currently makes $55,000 annually. She said the perspective of lower-income residents has been missing from the council and that she hopes to bring her knowledge and perspective to the council.
“I don’t think that there are ever going to be any seven people who are going to know everything that a city council needs to know about,” Remington said. “But, we have people in our community who do, and I don’t think that we have leveraged that as much as we could and we could see a lot of benefit from doing so.”
Remington said if elected, she hopes to improve access to basic needs in the Iowa City community for low to moderate-income residents.
“I am just looking to create a community in which everybody can thrive, in which we collaborate and take advantage of all of the amazing resources and knowledge that exists in this town,” Remington said.
Remington hopes to improve access to affordable housing, access to child care, and equitable access to community resources in Iowa City.
“I believe in a transparent and inclusive government that listens to the needs and concerns of all community members,” Remington said. “I believe that, with such a government, we can work together to make Iowa City an even better place to live, work, raise a family, and thrive, and I am excited to be a part of that effort.”
Remington is also one of the only Iowa City City Council candidates to receive an endorsement from a national organization. Run for Something, a non-profit that promotes and recruits young progressives, is endorsing Remington.
Remington works at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics as a medical record and guardianship clerk for the Center for Disabilities and Development.
Remington is one of three Iowa City residents running for the At-Large council seat in the Nov. 7 election. Other candidates include Mazahir Salih, the former executive director of the Center for Worker Justice, and Josh Moe, a local architect.