Thank you!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to my supporters in West Des Moines for your confidence, trust and support over all these years! I love this city so much and will work as hard as I can to make this city the best city in America in which to live, work, play and raise a family!
Getting engaged and married to my wife and the birth of our children have been some of the most amazing moments in my life. But being elected Mayor of the city that I love is certainly right up there! It has been such an honor and a pleasure serving West Des Moines residents over the last 12 years on the city council and I look forward to continuing that service as Mayor.
Tuesday marked the end of my 5th campaign for local office. I first ran for city council, unsuccessfully, in 2005 before getting elected in 2009. Throughout this 16-year, 5-campaign journey, my wife and kids have been right there by my side through it all. And it hasn’t been easy. Each campaign I’ve spent hundreds of hours knocking on thousands of doors. And each campaign has involved personal attacks, hate mail and sabotage from some. None of this is easy on a family. But my wife, Alana, has been by my side and has endured it all and has put up with me throughout. Alana keeps our lives sane, makes sure we all know where to go and what to do and she picks up all the pieces and the slack when I cannot be there. I would not be able to do what I do without my wife and I am eternally grateful and in awe of what she does.
Like Alana, my 4 kids have scarified over the years and have always been there. When I first got elected they were 2,4,6 and 8. They are now 14, 16, 18, and 20. During this campaign we jumped out to a fast start and hit the ground running. I don’t normally allow people to door knock with me. This year my oldest boys, Jaxon and Tyson, knocked with me. Jaxon’s girlfriend and some of the boys’ friends also knocked. I couldn’t have done it without them! We made it to all of the voting households in the city in less than 2 months and I got very kind reports from constituents regarding how the kids represented themselves and my campaign. My daughter, Aaliyah, meticulously went through and opened the mail each day, sharing with me all of the unbelievable contributions that came in and all the comments people made on all the surveys that we handed out. My youngest son, Ryan, snuck a bunch of Trimble for Mayor T-shirts from the house and he and his friends represented me all through the halls of Stillwell and Indian Hills Junior High. This campaign was an absolute family affair and I could not have done this without all the help, love and support of my wife and kids.
To our family and friends both near and far who have always had our backs: We love you and could not do any of this without you. We were targeted by opposition over and over and over again. But we jumped out to a fast start, raising more money than has ever been raised in a local election in West Des Moines and knocking on thousands of doors in a very short time. We fended off any likely opponent and, in the end, went unopposed. None of this would have been possible without you! I wouldn’t be here without you! You have donated to my campaigns, have marched in parades, have volunteered, have allowed me to put up yard signs, made phone calls, spread the word to get people out to vote, and showed up to the polls yourselves over and over again. When we have needed you, you have always been there! We are nothing without you! There are truly no words to adequately express our appreciation for you or what you mean to all of us. Thank you!
To my political mentor and one of my closest friends, Andy Warren, who has taught me everything I know about political strategy and campaigning: There are no words adequate enough to express my appreciation and gratitude not only for what you have taught me, but for the support you have always provided me throughout this journey. I wouldn’t be here without you!
To my treasurer and one of my dearest friends, Angie Hughes: you keep me on track, out of trouble and sane. Sometimes you even talk me off the ledge when things aren’t going so well. I couldn’t do this without you! You care so much, put in so much work and are such a good friend!
To my friend Brian Dumas and the Team at Victory Enterprises: You are invaluable! I would never run a campaign without you! You keep me on track, put up with my endless revisions, and always get me what I need when I need it! Thank you for everything!
To Mayor Steve Gaer: You have been a tireless advocate for West Des Moines, and an incredible leader and mentor to all of us who have learned by watching you and working with you. You treat people with dignity and respect. You make sure all voices are heard. And you care deeply about this city and its people. You have accomplished so much and have done so much for West Des Moines over your 23 years of service to our community and we are forever grateful to you and your family for all you have done. I have huge shoes to fill, but I will work extremely hard to grow into them and keep our community moving forward. We will all miss you, Steve, Sally and family!
To my fellow council people: It is such an honor to get to work with you on a daily basis. You are all amazing leaders with so much to offer. We have accomplished so much together and yet our work has only just begun. Together we will work to keep West Des Moines affordable by cutting taxes when responsible to do so and ensuring affordable housing options for young families and seniors. We will continue to grow jobs and the economy. We will continue revitalizing older parts of our city like Valley Junction and the area around Valley West Mall. We will continue adding more game-changing quality of life amenities to retain and attract the best and brightest and to provide exciting activities for our families. I look forward to continuing our work together as we make this city the best city in America in which to live, work, play and raise a family.
Last but not least to Tom Hadden and city staff: You all are absolutely amazing! I am in awe of you all every single day. You work so hard to make this city what it is. And you care so much about the jobs you do. You are all so professional and such experts in your respective fields. You are the backbone of this city and its heart and soul. Elected officials come and go. But you are always there, working with pride to ensure that our city is the best that it can be and that our residents and businesses receive top notch services every single day! God bless you all and thank you for all that you do! I look forward to continuing to work with each and every one of you. It is an absolute honor!
