Frank Cownie

Who is Frank Cownie?

Thomas Michael Franklin "Frank" Cownie is the current mayor of Des Moines, Iowa in the United States. He owns and operates Cownie Furs, a store that has been in his family for generations.

Cownie is a Des Moines native. He grew up on the city's west side, attending Theodore Roosevelt High School and Iowa State University. He came from a political family; both of his parents served on the city's school board.

Prior to serving as mayor, he served for two years as an at-large member of the Des Moines City Council. He also served several terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission and was chairman of Downtown Des Moines, Inc.

While Iowa's city elections are non-partisan, Cownie is a Democrat. He narrowly finished 2nd in a six-way jungle primary in 2003, and later defeated Councilwoman Christine Hensley by a nine-point margin. He succeeded fellow Democrat Preston Daniels. In 2007 he was re-elected with nearly 80 percent of the vote, receiving only marginal competition from Socialist Worker candidate Diana Newberry.