The 2025 Des Moines City Council election – the filing for which closed on Friday, May 9, 2025 – has attracted six candidates vying for four open positions, with two incumbents seeking re-election and four newcomers aiming to bring fresh perspectives to the council.
The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 5, with the top two vote-getters moving on to the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Six candidates are running for four seats (Positions 1, 3, 5 & 7), including two incumbents.
Incumbents Harry Steinmetz and Gene Achziger have each served on the Des Moines City Council since Jan. 1, 2022. Both were elected in the November 2021 general election and are currently serving four-year terms set to conclude Dec. 31, 2025.
NOTE: Links for each candidate are to their profiles on the King County Elections website.
*denotes incumbent
City of Des Moines, Council Position No. 1
- Harry Steinmetz*: An incumbent councilmember since 2022 and Deputy Mayor since 2024, Steinmetz brings a legal background as an administrative law judge and attorney, focusing on fiscal responsibility and public safety.
- David Denino: Denino has filed to run for Position 1; additional background information is currently unavailable.
City of Des Moines, Council Position No. 3
- Gene Achziger*: Serving on the council since 2022, Achziger is a retired journalist and former adjunct professor, emphasizing transparency and community engagement.
City of Des Moines, Council Position No. 5
- Pierre Blosse: Founder and president of IVYX Scientific, Blosse aims to apply his business acumen to city governance.
- Lloyd Elliott Lytle Jr.: Lytle has filed to run for Position 5; further background details are not available at this time.
City of Des Moines, Council Position No. 7
- Robyn Desimone: Owner of Iris & Peony floral shop, Desimone is a local business leader with a focus on community development.
As part of our ongoing political coverage, The Waterland Blog will be reaching out to each candidate to ask how they plan to govern, what their top priorities are, and how they intend to address the city’s most pressing challenges. Candidate responses will be published in the coming weeks to help inform voters ahead of the Aug. 5 2025 Primary Election.
For more information on the candidates and their platforms, residents are encouraged to visit the official King County Elections website here.
