Incumbents Matthew McKinney, Greg Hudson reelected to West Des Moines City Council

Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register
·2 min read

West Des Moines City Councilmember Matthew McKinney held off challenger Jennie Doke-Kerns in Tuesday's election to win a second term as an at-large council member.

McKinney took 65% of the vote to Doke-Kerns' 35%, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State's Office.

Incumbent Matthew McKinney is running for an at-large seat on the West Des Moines City Council.
Incumbent Matthew McKinney is running for an at-large seat on the West Des Moines City Council.

Ward 2 Council Member Greg Hudson, who was running unopposed, also won a second term, with 99% of the vote.

McKinney, 42, an attorney at BrownWinick, cited affordability as his top issue in the race in a Des Moines Register candidate questionnaire. He pointed to votes during his first term to cut the city's tax rate twice, and said he would continue to do so when responsible.

McKinney also cited affordable housing as an issue and said he voted during his first term to modernize the city's housing ordinances in an effort to lower the costs of new housing.

More: Meet the candidates running for at-large West Des Moines City Council in the 2023 election

Doke-Kerns, 49, a professor at Des Moines Area Community College, said she ran to create a more inclusive West Des Moines, to stand up for residents' personal liberties and to foster growth while supporting historic neighborhoods.

Greg Hudson, who represents the Second Ward of West Des Moines, is running for reelection.
Greg Hudson, who represents the Second Ward of West Des Moines, is running for reelection.

Hudson, 41, won a four-year term on the council in 2019, representing Ward 2, which includes the north part of West Des Moines, primarily north of Mills Civic Parkway and primarily west of Interstate 35.

Hudson, a social studies teacher at Valley High School, told the Register that during his first term he supported projects like the MidAmerican Energy Co. RecPlex while cutting the city's tax rate twice, revitalizing the Valley Junction neighborhood and providing more quality of life amenities to residents.

More: Meet the candidate running for West Des Moines City Council Ward 2 in the 2023 election

More: 2023 Iowa local election results

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: West Des Moines City Council election results: McKinney, Hudson win