Cynthia Lynne Axne (née Wadle; born April 20, 1965) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district from 2019 until 2023. She is currently a senior adviser to the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Biden Administration.
Cindy Axne | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd district | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | David Young |
| Succeeded by | Zach Nunn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cynthia Lynne Wadle April 20, 1965 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | John Axne |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Iowa (BA) Northwestern University (MBA) |
A member of the Democratic Party, Axne narrowly defeated incumbent Republican David Young in the 2018 elections. The district was anchored in the state capital Des Moines; it included much of the state's southwest quadrant, including Council Bluffs. Axne ran for reelection to a third term in 2022, but lost to Republican challenger Zach Nunn, a U.S. Air Force officer. She is the most recent Democrat to represent Iowa in Congress.
Early life and career
editAxne was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1965, the daughter of Terry and Joanne Wadle.[1] She graduated from Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Iowa and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.[2]
After graduating from college, Axne worked in leadership development and strategic planning for the Tribune Company in Chicago. From 2005 to 2014, she worked in the Iowa state government on service delivery in over 20 state agencies in the executive branch.[2]
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit2018
editIn 2018, Axne ran for the United States House of Representatives in Iowa's 3rd congressional district.[3][4] She won the Democratic primary election with 57.91% of the vote[5] and defeated incumbent representative David Young in the general election, becoming, with Abby Finkenauer, one of the first two women from Iowa elected to the House.[6] Young carried 15 of the district's 16 counties, but Axne won Polk County, the district's most populous county and home to Des Moines, by over 30,000 votes, far exceeding the overall margin of 8,000.[7]
2020
editIn 2020, Axne won the Democratic primary virtually unopposed, facing only write-in candidates.[8] She then defeated David Young in a rematch in the general election, with 48.9% of the vote to Young's 47.6%.[9]
2022
editAxne ran for reelection[10] and lost to Republican nominee Zach Nunn by a margin of 0.7%.
Tenure
editAxne took office during the 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown and requested that her pay be withheld until the shutdown ended.[11] On January 30, 2019, she co-sponsored a bill, the Shutdown to End All Shutdowns (SEAS) Act, to prevent future federal government shutdowns from happening.[12]
In September 2021, Axne was accused of failing to disclose up to $645,000 in stock trades.[13] Reports also found that she had bought and sold stocks in companies she was tasked to oversee as a member of the House Financial Services Committee.[14]
In July 2022, The Committee on Ethics voted to clear Axne of any wrongdoing and dismissed previously filed complaints on stock trading.[15]
In September 2022, Axne voted for the Inflation Reduction Act by proxy while on vacation in France.[16]
As of October 2022, Axne has voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time.[17] In an October 2022 interview, she called Biden "the most impactful president we've seen in this country's history".[18]
In 2022, Axne voted for H.R. 1808: Assault Weapons Ban of 2022.[19][20]
Committee assignments
editCaucus memberships
editElectoral history
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cindy Axne | 32,070 | 57.91 | |
| Democratic | Eddie J. Mauro | 14,582 | 26.33 | |
| Democratic | Pete D'Alessandro | 8,595 | 15.52 | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 136 | 0.25 | |
| Total votes | 55,383 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cindy Axne | 175,642 | 49.3 | |
| Republican | David Young (incumbent) | 167,933 | 47.1 | |
| Libertarian | Bryan Holder | 7,267 | 2.0 | |
| Legal Marijuana Now | Mark Elworth Jr. | 2,015 | 0.6 | |
| Green | Paul Knupp | 1,888 | 0.5 | |
| Independent | Joe Grandanette | 1,301 | 0.4 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 195 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 356,241 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cindy Axne (incumbent) | 76,681 | 99.2 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 623 | 0.8 | |
| Total votes | 77,304 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cindy Axne (incumbent) | 219,205 | 48.9 | |
| Republican | David Young | 212,997 | 47.6 | |
| Libertarian | Bryan Jack Holder | 15,361 | 3.4 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 384 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 447,947 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Zach Nunn | 156,262 | 50.2 | |
| Democratic | Cindy Axne (incumbent) | 154,117 | 49.6 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 534 | 0.2 | |
| Total votes | 310,913 | 100.0 | ||
Post-congressional career
editOn June 7, 2023, Axne was appointed as Senior Advisor for Rural Engagement, Delivery and Prosperity to the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Biden Administration.[24]
Personal life
editAxne and her husband, John, operate a digital design firm. They have two sons and live in the Hill East neighborhood of Washington, D.C..[2] They are members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in West Des Moines.
Axne is 6 feet (1.83 m) tall.[25]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Candidate Conversation - Cindy Axne (D)". Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales. August 31, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Three takeaways on Cindy Axne, 3rd District Democrat running for Congress". The Des Moines Register. May 1, 2018. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
- ^ Mike Brownlee (June 2, 2017). "Democrat Cindy Axne looking to unseat David Young in Iowa congressional race | Politics". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
- ^ William Petroski (May 26, 2018). "What are the key issues for Cindy Axne, Democratic candidate for the 3rd District?". The Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ "Iowa's 3rd District: Cindy Axne wins primary, will vie against GOP Rep. David Young". The Des Moines Register. June 5, 2018. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
- ^ "Iowa voters elect female governor, 2 female U.S. representatives, record number of female lawmakers". The Des Moines Register. November 7, 2018. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ "IA District 03". Our Campaigns. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- ^ "Primary Election - 2020 CANVASS SUMMARY" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ "General Election - 2020 Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ "Cindy Axne is running for reelection in Congress, closing the door on Iowa gubernatorial bid". The Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Peterson, Mike (January 11, 2019). "Axne axes salary during shutdown". Shenandoah, Iowa: KMA-FM. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Peterson, Mike (January 30, 2019). "Axne pushes government shutdown ban bill". Shenandoah, Iowa: KMA-FM. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ "U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne failed to disclose up to $645k in stock trades, government watchdog says". The Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Financial Services Dem Buys and Sells Finance Stocks". Sludge. December 8, 2021. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "House panel dismisses complaint over Axne stock trades". July 29, 2022. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Price, Dave (September 26, 2022). "Insiders: Axne was in France during vote, Hinson opposes GOP governors flying migrants". Des Moines: WHO-DT. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ Bycoffe, Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ "Grassley, Reynolds to join Trump in Iowa, Axne calls Biden 'most impactful' in history". Des Moines: WHO-DT. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "House passes assault-style weapons ban | CNN Politics". CNN. July 29, 2022. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "H.R. 1808: Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 -- House Vote #410 -- Jul 29, 2022". Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Leadership: New Democrat Coalition". New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ "June 5, 2018 Primary Election". Iowa Secretary of State. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^ "Primary Election June 2, 2020 | United States Representative District 3 – Democratic". Iowa Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
- ^ Bacharier, Galen. "Former Iowa U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne takes new post at Department of Agriculture". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "Cindy Axne tells how she fought off would-be rapist in speech to Des Moines business leaders". The Des Moines Register. October 2, 2018. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
A former West Des Moines Valley basketball player who stands six feet tall...
External links
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