Courtney Clarke will be Waukee's first woman mayor

Gage Miskimen
The Des Moines Register

Courtney Clarke will be Waukee's first woman mayor after defeating opponent Shelly Hughes in Tuesday's city election. 

Clarke  received 1,376 votes to Hughes' 921 votes. 

"I feel fantastic," Clarke told the Des Moines Register on Tuesday night. "We worked really hard and everybody that volunteered for me worked really hard and I'm thrilled to see that pay off and I look forward to start working on what comes next."

Clarke and Hughes are both members of the Waukee City Council. Waukee will need to fill Clarke's council seat once she takes over the mayor's position in January. 

The city council can either vote to hold a special election or appoint someone to fill the seat. The seat does not expire until December 2021. 

Hughes' term on the city council expires at the end of the year, leaving open the possibility that she could be appointed to fill the remainder of Clarke's term. 

More: Election results from Polk, Dallas counties

Clarke said before being sworn in she would like to sit down with all of Waukee's department heads. She listed regional leadership as her top priority for the city. 

Results are unofficial until certified by county supervisors.

Gage Miskimen is a news reporter mostly covering West Des Moines, Waukee, and Clive for the Register. Reach him at gmiskimen@dmreg.com or 515-284-8234. 

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