Rob Barron will be sworn into office Monday as the first Latino elected to the Des Moines City Council — and will be sworn in by his father, who ran for a seat on the council nearly 50 years ago.
Why it matters: Barron tells Axios that he hopes his representation will encourage more people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue public service, strengthening decision-making and improving outcomes for the entire community.
Catch up quick: Barron, 46, was a state staff director for former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin and is the executive director of the Seed Coalition, a DSM-based group promoting civic engagement among Midwest colleges.
- In 2013, he was the first Latino elected to the Des Moines Public Schools board, where he served for eight years, including as board chair and vice chair.
State of play: Barron ran unsuccessfully in a 2023 special election for the Ward 1 council seat following the resignation of Indira Sheumaker — an election that saw former councilperson Chris Coleman return to office.
- Coleman did not seek reelection last year and Barron ran again, winning the seat with 61% of votes.
Flashback: His father, Xavier Barron, a probation officer, ran for the Des Moines City Council in 1979 — the same year Rob was born.
- His father still lives in DSM.
What they’re saying: Xavier Barron is believed to be the first Latino to run for the DSM City Council, according to Joe Henry, the Iowa political director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
- That run laid a personal and symbolic foundation for his own path into local elected office, Rob Barron said.
The intrigue: Two years ago, Connie Boesen was the first woman elected as mayor in DSM’s nearly 180-year history…