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Community leader Amara Andrews to run for Cedar Rapids mayor
Marissa Payne
Mar. 22, 2021 10:44 am, Updated: Mar. 22, 2021 4:30 pm
CEDAR RAPIDS - Businesswoman and community leader Amara Andrews announced Monday she plans to launch a bid for Cedar Rapids mayor.
Andrews is the head of business development and communications for the transportation division at TrueNorth Companies. If elected, she would become the first African American to hold the top elected post in Cedar Rapids municipal government and would be among the first African American women to serve as mayor in Iowa, according to a news release.
The first African American woman to serve as an Iowa mayor was LaMetta Wynn, who held office in Clinton from 1995 to 2007.
Andrews has served on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Rapids and is president of the board for The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success.
Andrews also is vice president of the board of the Advocates for Social Justice, whom she worked with alongside city officials following George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police to prompt the city's adoption of seven demands for police reform.
One of the demands was the city's adoption of a citizens' police review board to improve community-police relations, provide oversight of local law enforcement and respond to citizen complaints of alleged police misconduct.
A California native, Andrews has lived and worked in Cedar Rapids with her family for about 10 years.
After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, Andrews received a law degree from the UCLA School of Law.
Andrews stated on her website, amara4cr.com, that she is 'passionate about community” and believes Cedar Rapids 'is a place where all people can thrive.”
With her announcement, Andrews joins two others vying to be the city's top elected official. Mayor Brad Hart announced his re-election bid in January, and Tiffany O'Donnell, the CEO of nonprofit Women Lead Change, on Sunday shared her plans to run for the seat.
Andrews will make her official announcement at 5 p.m. Thursday at an outdoor event at NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St. SE.
Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com