20-year-old Iowa State student is the youngest woman elected to office in Iowa's history

Shelby Fleig | Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Iowa Caucus: A look back at the history of the Iowa caucuses The Iowa caucuses are not first because they're important, they're important because they're first. Former Des Moines Register opinion editor Kathie Obradovich gives a brief history lesson on the Iowa caucus.

AMES, Ia. — A 20-year-old chemical engineering student at Iowa State University has been elected to the Ames City Council, making her the youngest woman elected to any office in state history.

Rachel Junck received 712 votes to Chris Nelson’s 587 votes in Tuesday’s runoff election for the Ward 4 seat. Nelson, who is vice president of the Nelson Electric Company, was seeking his third term.

On Wednesday, Junck said the victory is especially satisfying given the amount of campaigning she and her supporters did in the last month — knocking doors after class, informing students of their voting rights — after falling just seven votes short of a win in November.

"This (campaign) has been about representing everyone in Ames," she said. "Together we made history."

Just minutes before the polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Junck said she saw a small group of people who hadn't yet voted and drove them the polls, causing her to be late to her own watch party at Jeff's Pizza Shop.

"This last 48 hours has been a whirlwind," she said. "The first thing I said when we saw the results was, 'We did it!'

"I was just really excited to hear the results ... and being the leader going into the runoff and having put in such hard work, I was pretty confident we'd be able to pull it off," she said.

Previously: 20-year-old college student will be state's youngest female officeholder if she wins runoff against Ames councilman

As the newest member of the Ames City Council, she said she wants her first steps to include taking local action to address climate change by setting aside money in next year's budget for a number of sustainability efforts.

But first, she said she's focused on finishing out the semester.

Asked in an earlier interview if she was excited she might make Iowa history, she said it would be an honor.

"But being able to represent a whole different generation of people on the council would be, I think, a bigger honor," she told the Register.

The Story County Board of Supervisors must certify election results.

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