How Jill Shudak beat the odds in Council Bluffs mayoral race
A pro-labor Democrat wins in red city
This original reporting and analysis first appeared at Bleeding Heartland and is shared here as part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. For regular emails linking to all recent Bleeding Heartland articles and commentary, subscribe to the free Evening Heartland newsletter.
“I think it really speaks to the changing of the times,” Jill Shudak told me on November 6, two days after she became the first woman elected mayor of southwest Iowa’s largest city. Council Bluffs is “moving forward, and they’re ready for a forward thinker.”
Amid many Democratic victories from coast to coast in the November 2025 election, Shudak’s accomplishment stayed mostly below the radar. But she beat the odds in two ways. As a first-term city council member, she defeated a well-known, long-serving incumbent. Council Bluffs voters had elected Matt Walsh mayor three times; he had previously served on the city council since 1996.
It’s also notable that a Democrat won a mayoral race in a city that has trended red. (While local elections are nonpartisan in Iowa, area Democrats and labor activists were supporting Shudak, and Walsh is a Republican.) Bleeding Heartland’s analysis of results from the 2024 general election show voters across the 22 Council Bluffs precincts preferred Donald Trump for president by a margin of 53.6 percent to 44.7 percent for Kamala Harris, and preferred Republican Randy Feenstra to Democratic challenger Ryan Melton in the Congressional race by 55.3 percent to 44.1 percent.
Unofficial results from the 2025 election show Shudak received 3,641 votes (43.9 percent) to 3,524 votes (42.5 percent) for Walsh. City council member Chris Peterson likely received most of the 1,130 write-in votes (13.6 percent) in the mayoral race.
Shudak made time to talk about her campaign despite a “whirlwind” of activity since the election, including conversations with the city’s department heads and a round table discussion about property taxes with Governor Kim Reynolds. Here’s the full video from our interview.
Other candidates could learn a lot from Shudak’s winning formula.
ATTACKS ON UNIONS SPURRED FIRST BID FOR OFFICE
Shudak was born in Council Bluffs, which lies across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. She was raised just outside the city limits, the youngest of three kids in a close-knit family. Her oldest brother has managed all three of her campaigns, her mother has been an active volunteer, and her husband has been very supportive as well.
Shudak said she’s always been “politically active and politically curious.” George Stephanopoulos, a senior aide to President Bill Clinton at the time, was one of her childhood crushes!
She also comes from a “strong union background.” One grandparent was in the butcher’s union, and another in the Union Pacific Railroad workers union. Her late father was also a union member, and one of her brothers is a union organizer.
In fact, Shudak was inspired to run for office after Iowa leaders “gutted collective bargaining rights” in 2017, she told me. That year, the new Republican trifecta fast-tracked a bill attacking public sector unions on many fronts. A wide range of topics (such as insurance, evaluation or grievance procedures, and seniority benefits) were now prohibited from collective bargaining negotiations. Other matters that had been mandatory subjects of bargaining in Iowa since the 1970s—including “holidays, hours, vacations, shift differentials, overtime compensation, health and safety”—were now “permissive,” meaning they could be negotiated only if both sides agreed to do so.
If the public sector employer didn’t want to include those matters in the contract, then the only thing the union could negotiate on behalf of its members was worker base pay.
The new collective bargaining law angered Shudak, and she paid attention to how government employers in her area implemented it. Several nearby towns kept “the vast majority of their permissive topics,” she said. But the Council Bluffs school district “took every single topic out of their contract.” She “really got upset, and that motivated me” to run for school board.
“IT’S 100 PERCENT DOOR KNOCKING”
Shudak was in the first cohort to go through the Emerge Iowa training program, a six-month class that “taught me how to run for office as a Democratic woman.” Would-be candidates learned how to do social media, write press releases, speak in public, and look at different precincts to figure out how many votes they would need to win. (State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott is another well-known alumna of the Emerge Iowa training.)
When Shudak ran for school board in 2019, she recalled, she and her team knocked some 6,000 doors and raised around $12,000, which was unheard of for a Council Bluffs school board race. She was the largest vote-getter in Pottawattamie County in that election. “So I was off to the races.” As a board member, she was able to get six of the permissive topics back in the district’s contract for teachers.
As her four-year term was nearing an end, Shudak pondered whether to seek re-election or another office. The city of Council Bluffs had pulled permissive topics out of contracts for most employees, aside from police officers and firefighters. Other good candidates were ready to step up and run for school board, but Steve Gorman was the only pro-labor city council member, and “he was fighting an uphill battle.” So she decided to run for the council, using “exactly the same” approach she had learned through the Emerge training.
Asked what she considers the most important factor for a candidate in a local election, where media coverage can be sparse, Shudak didn’t hesitate: “It’s 100 percent door knocking.” She estimated that her vote total for the 2019 school board race was within about 150 of the number of doors they knocked. Those direct conversations with voters are so important in the nonpartisan races, she said, to show people you are willing to listen and help them understand where you are coming from.
Shudak posted on Facebook in October that she and volunteers had knocked about 5,300 doors before the October 7 city primary election. (Council Bluffs is among the Iowa cities that hold primaries when the number of candidates seeking an office is more than twice as many as the number of positions available.)
The canvassing clearly paid off, because she finished second in the low-turnout primary, just 52 votes ahead of the third-place contender Peterson. That’s why she and Walsh were on the November ballot, while Peterson was running as a write-in.
Shudak set a goal of 10,000 total doors knocked by November 4. Those direct voter contacts likely provided her margin of victory over Walsh.
I wondered whether she found it easier to run against an incumbent—as she did in her school board race and this year’s election—compared to an open-seat race like her 2023 city council bid. In some ways, facing an incumbent was easier, she said, because “I had a record to run against.” She was able to ask voters, “Do you want more of the same, or do you want a change?”
In other ways it was much more difficult, because Walsh has such high name recognition after 30 years in city government. “And I applaud him for everything he’s done; I just think it’s time to move in a different direction.”
BETTER COMMUNICATION, MORE PUBLIC INPUT
When you run against an incumbent, you need to convince voters not only that you can do the job, but that you’d do it better than the person they know. What was Shudak’s case for why Council Bluffs residents should fire Walsh and hire her?
Communication and seeking public input were central to her campaign. She promised to “Enhance communication and transparency in city government — making it easier for residents to stay informed and actively participate in decisions that affect their lives.”
She also pledged to open up more lines of communication within the city government. Responding to a question a Council Bluffs employee posted on Facebook, she wrote,
Every employee should be valued and respected for running this city. The first thing I’ll do for union employees who aren’t police or fire is restore all permissive topics into their contracts that don’t cost the city a dollar. I’ll also make it clear that I’m willing to bargain on all other permissive topics as well.
In addition, I want to meet quarterly with employees in each department and hear directly from them about what would make them feel more valued. Having managed different groups of people, I know that everyone has their own way of feeling appreciated. Some want positive feedback, others like having meals brought in, and many simply want to be treated with fairness and respect.
With that platform, it’s no surprise many labor unions endorsed Shudak for mayor—including almost every local in Omaha, which helped in reaching Council Bluffs residents who work across the river.
From Shudak’s perspective, Walsh “has shut down” after so many years in office and doesn’t always react well to public feedback. He doesn’t knock doors or do town hall meetings, and doesn’t have as many one-on-one conversations with city residents. “Which then means, when a hot-bed topic comes up, he’s off doing what he thinks is correct and not listening to our community.”
Several of those controversies fueled her campaign.
A FOCUS ON LOCAL CONCERNS
As politics has become more nationalized, Iowa Democratic candidates for down-ballot offices have often struggled to keep the focus on local topics. Shudak highlighted contrasts between herself and the incumbent on matters that could improve the quality of life for city residents.
One of those was the fate of the Dodge Riverside golf course, which she described as the reason she decided to run for mayor. Walsh wanted to sell the property, which has been in the city’s possession for more than 120 years, so it could be developed into luxury condos and apartments. Shudak held town halls about the proposal “and fought tooth and nail to shut that down at the city council.” She believes that was a major issue driving people to the polls last week.
In addition, Walsh and his staff wanted to extend a streetcar from Omaha. Shudak considers that project “a complete disaster,” which is already behind schedule and causing problems for area businesses. She said Council Bluffs has had streetcars from Omaha at two different times. “They didn’t work,” and the city pulled out the tracks, “so I’m not sure why we would want to try that again.”
The golf course and streetcar motivated many voters on the west side of town, who would be most affected.
Because Shudak was critical of specific ideas the mayor was bringing forward, “it made it very easy for our voters, after we got through the primary, to say yes, I’m going to vote for her.”
You could argue that the Democrat benefited from a three-way race, since Peterson (like Walsh) is a Republican. On the flip side, the write-in candidate split the vote for change; like Shudak, Peterson was campaigning against both the streetcar and development of the Dodge Riverside golf course.
Housing issues also loomed large in this campaign.
ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS WITH COMPASSION AND DIGNITY
Council Bluffs’ population has been stagnant for about 20 years, Shudak told me. The current mayor has focused on building more apartments, and at least 3,000 apartments are “in the pipeline now,” with more potentially approved by the city council in the coming weeks.
Shudak believes “We need more housing, we need different types of housing.” She wants to focus on owner-occupied housing, including starter homes and affordable options for families and senior citizens. The city of Council Bluffs recently annexed 423 acres stretching south into Mills County, part of which is zoned as residential.
She identified the growing homelessness problem as one of the biggest issues in the mayoral race. In her campaign literature, she vowed to “Partner with community organizations to address homelessness with compassion, dignity, and sustainable solutions.”
What would that look like? Here’s our exchange on that topic.
Shudak described the current mayor as “hands off,” not engaged in community input sessions or working with partners like the local homeless shelters or Omaha Mayor John Ewing.
In contrast, Shudak has volunteered with shelters for eight years. When she travels for work or on vacation, she has often taken a day to visit facilities in other parts of the country “to figure out what’s working and what’s not.” She has communicated with Omaha leaders about the issue as well. Nebraska’s largest city was considering a ban on public camping, which would have pushed more unhoused people to move across the river.
She believes Council Bluffs needs a community building where people can go during the day, when the shelters are closed until dinnertime. She envisions a place where people could do laundry, take a shower, meet with a caseworker or a nurse, access pet care, get help with job searches, and clothing to wear for job interviews.
“There’s a misconception that everybody is on drugs, or is drunk, and doesn’t want help, and that’s just not true,” Shudak said. While spending a day with the city’s homeless outreach program, she talked to several people who work full time but can’t afford a place to live, or lost their job and need help.
The Council Bluffs firefighters union local—which rarely endorses in city elections—cited this issue as one reason it backed Shudak. Excerpts from the union’s endorsement post in late October:
We do not seek to be involved in politics. Our priority is serving this community. However, when the same problems persist year after year, and those on the front lines are put at risk, remaining silent is no longer an option. Our city needs a new direction.
Council Bluffs needs leadership that listens, brings people together, and takes public safety challenges seriously. Jill Shudak has committed to work WITH firefighters, police, service providers, and residents to address homelessness, strengthen public safety, protect labor rights, and lead with transparency and dignity.
Homelessness has grown worse over the past decade, and recently this has led to a firefighter being assaulted while at a fire station. Our first responders deserve to feel safe while at work, and the Council Bluffs community deserves real solutions grounded in compassion and accountability.
“YOU CAN DO IT”
Like many women running for office, Shudak faced quite a bit of negativity during the campaign. How did she cope? “It’s so hard,” she acknowledged. When she criticized her opponent, she kept the focus on what the mayor has done or not done as part of his job. “I did no personal attacks. […] It was truly about his policy.”
Sadly, Shudak faced a huge amount of “sexist” and “misogynistic” comments online, largely about her appearance. She doesn’t know whether that was because she’s a female candidate or because she’s a Democrat “in a very Republican area.” For whatever reason, online critics often targeted her hair, weight, or clothing, or said she should be at home taking care of her husband.
She watched her competitors’ Facebook pages: “I was asked three times the amount of questions,” and no one was commenting on other candidates’ looks or personal lives. “It made me sad for our community,” and as someone who doesn’t have children, she wonders how kids deal with bullying on social media. “It was heartbreaking to see that people would say such mean, hurtful things, and put their name to it.”
Shudak didn’t encounter the same problem when campaigning in person. Neither she nor her family members who volunteered ever had “a horrible conversation” face-to-face, even when talking to voters who planned to support Walsh.
What would be her advice to others thinking of running for school board or a city office? “I would say it’s a lonely situation, so you’ve got to make sure that you’re mentally ready for it. The trolls are going to come after you. The haters are going to hate.”
On the other hand, “If you have this strong family foundation, you can do it.” Her husband “keeps the household running during campaign season,” which reduces her stress level. Her mom, brothers, and close friends form “a circle of trust,” giving her a safe space to vent on the tough days.
She encouraged candidates to “stay focused, get a calendar, schedule things out, know how many doors you have to hit every single day, and you can do it.”
ON BREAKING A GLASS CEILING
As a candidate, Shudak didn’t emphasize her potential to make history, but I wanted her take on breaking a glass ceiling. “I am so proud and so honored, and really humbled that I was elected the first female mayor of Council Bluffs.”
Dorothy Strohbehn became the first woman to hold the position in 1974, when Council Bluffs city council members appointed her after the mayor passed away. “She definitely laid that groundwork,” Shudak said.
Recalling her own interest in national politics as a child, she’s proud to be someone girls and younger women can look up to, as proof they can work, have a family, and chase their dreams.
I always try to end an interview by asking if there’s anything I didn’t bring up that would be important for my readers to know. Shudak brought it back to her “proud, strong labor roots.” She appreciates the way unions stepped up to support her campaign, and is excited about what she sees as a “full-circle moment.” Working people are a key reason she got involved in politics, “and now I get to represent them at the city level.”
Thank you Laura for a great column!! And Jill Shudak gives a great primer on the grit, determination and moxie needed to turn out voters! Hurray for her emphasis on union workers and collective bargaining too!
Wonderful reporting job, Laura. Mayor-elect Jill Shudak’s victory is a classic example of how to win a political race against a long-serving incumbent. It also seems to me to be one of organized labor’s biggest victories in Iowa in a long time. And with Shudak and Josh Turek, this is the highest point of political potential for Council Bluffs since the power years of Mike Gronstal and Brent Siegrist.