UPDATE: West Des Moines Ward 2 Voters Choose John Mickelson in Special Council Election

UPDATED 9:20 p.m.

West Des Moines Ward 2 voters chose John Mickelson to fill an unexpired city council term in a special election Tuesday.

Mickelson defeated Lucas Casey, 577-100, according to unofficial election results on the Polk County Auditor's Office website. He had 85 percent of the vote.

Mickelson said he felt a “profound sense of gratefulness for all the supporters who have helped out during the last two months and a sense of excitement about getting to work to make the city a better place.”

During the campaign, visits with West Des Moines residents confirmed what he already believed to be true – that for the most part, the existing council members have done a good job running the city, Mickelson said

“It’s jut a matter of carrying on the great work they have done," he said.

One thing Mickelson wasn’t aware of until the campaign began was the lack of staffing at Fire Station 19, located at 80th Street and Mills Civic Parkway. He plans to work with the fire chief and the council to identify short-term solutions for the staffing problem that will ultimately become a permanent solution “to ensure safety for that fast-growing area of the city,” he said.

He congratulated Casey for being a consummate professional throughout the campaign.

Casey was upbeat about the process.

“Nobody died,” he said. “People will say ‘sorry for your loss,’ but it’s not the same thing.”

Casey said he will look for ways to remain involved in local government and politics and plans to let West Des Moines Mayor Steve Gaer know of his interest in serving on city boards or commissions.

“It’s definitely been a great experience,” Casey said. “I’ve learned a lot from the process and feel that as a citizen, I’m very knowledgeable about the process.”

Earlier, Patch reported:

The election was called to fill the unexpired term of former councilman Charles Schneider, who was elected to Senate District 22 in a special election last December. The term expires in 2015.

Mickelson is a West Des Moines native and graduate of Valley High School. After a 12-year absence for education and career opportunities, he returned in 2010 with his wife and family to West Des Moines, where he works as a banker.

He received undergraduate, MBA and law degrees from the University of Iowa, where he was also a letter winner for the Hawkeye football team.  

Casey, 29, moved to West Des Moines last year with his wife. He works at AIB College of Business, where he is director of institutional accountability.

He has a bachelor's degree in public administration and economics from the University of Northern Iowa and a master's degree in public administration from Drake Univesity. He's a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.