Thomas Michael Franklin "Frank" Cownie (born 1948) is the current

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

. He also owns and operates Cownie Furs, a store that has been in his family for generations. Cownie is a Des Moines native. He grew up on the city's west side, attending Theodore Roosevelt High School and

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

. He came from a political family; both of his parents served on the city's school board. Prior to serving as mayor, he served for two years as an at-large member of the Des Moines City Council. He also served several terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission and was chairman of Downtown Des Moines, Inc. While Iowa's city elections are non-partisan, Cownie is a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. He narrowly finished second in a six-way primary in

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, and later defeated Councilwoman Christine Hensley by a nine-point margin. He succeeded fellow Democrat Preston Daniels. In 2015 he was re-elected for a fourth term with 80 percent of the vote, 61 points ahead of Anthony Taylor. Cownie narrowly won re-election in 2019 in a runoff against challenger Jack Hatch. Having been elected to five terms, Cownie is the longest-serving mayor in Des Moines history.

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Cownie statement
made before a US House of Representative's subcommittee 1948 births 21st-century American politicians Iowa Democrats Iowa State University alumni Living people Mayors of Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

Theodore Roosevelt High School (Iowa) alumni People from Des Moines, Iowa {{DesMoinesIA-stub

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