Hanafan gets 7th term in Bluffs

COUNCIL BLUFFS — In her first try for public office, lawyer Melissa Head, 30, was the runaway choice among Bluffs voters in Tuesday's City Council election.

Head, who served the Army as a civilian in Iraq and Kuwait, won one of two seats up for election, receiving nearly 38 percent of the votes cast.

Bluffs voters also affirmed the longest-serving mayor of a major Iowa city, Tom Hanafan, sending him to his seventh term with about 80 percent of the vote. Newcomer Matt Hartfield finished a far second with about 20 percent of the 4,212 votes cast.

In a much tighter battle, incumbent Councilman Scott Belt held off a challenge from newcomers Scott Porter and Jay Kathol to win the second seat. Belt received 1,744 votes, or 21 percent of the total, compared with Porter's 1,677 and Kathol's 1,605.

“I'm very excited to have this opportunity,” Head said. “I had a great campaign team. But, it's not over. It's just the beginning. There's a lot of hard work now.”

Her goal, Head said, is to continue the city's growth efforts.

Belt was out of town on business, but his wife he was pleased with the outcome.

Though he finished out of the running, Porter said his campaign might have succeeded had the race lasted another week or so. He said he plans on running again.

“We had positive momentum at the end,” he said. “We kept climbing.”

Kathol thanked his supporters, saying, “I gave it my all, and I'm happy for Scott and Melissa. I'm sure they will do a good job, and I'm proud of Council Bluffs for saying they want elected officials with high morals to lead this city.”

Hanafan, first elected in 1988, credited the daily work of city employees as a factor in his success.

“The staff we have at City Hall and the employees have done a wonderful job,” he said.

“I've had more compliments in the last year about the city employees, and that's always a great deal. That makes a big difference.”

About 12 percent of registered voters in Council Bluffs participated, according to the Pottawattamie County Auditor's Office.