Brad Cavanagh

Brad Cavanagh was first elected Mayor of Dubuque in November 2021 and re-elected in 2025, after serving on the City Council beginning in 2019 as Fourth Ward representative. A Dubuque native, he brings a practitioner’s lens to public service as a small business owner and social worker with more than 20 years of experience. He holds a BSW from the University of Iowa and an MSW from Saint Louis University. From 2010–2021, he taught as an associate professor of social work at Loras College and today owns and operates a fair-trade store in downtown Dubuque. Brad and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons.

Mayor Cavanagh’s civic leadership spans housing, public health, and community development. Prior to elected office, he served on the Dubuque Housing Commission; as Vice Chair of the Dubuque County Food Policy Council; on the board of the Fountain of Youth; as Chair of the Guiding Coalition for the City’s Circles Initiative; and as co-founder of Resources Unite. As Mayor, he serves on the boards of Dubuque Initiatives, the Dubuque Racing Association (DRA), Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, Travel Dubuque, the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, and DBQ Air, and he chairs the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Transportation Study.

Regionally and nationally, he is the 2025–2026 Immediate Past President of the Iowa League of Cities and an active member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Throughout his tenure, Mayor Cavanagh has emphasized practical, community-driven solutions, strengthening infrastructure, supporting small businesses and neighborhoods, and advancing long-term resilience for Dubuque’s residents and economy.