Cindy Axne

Cindy Axne

Democratic Party

Prior offices

U.S. House Iowa District 3

Successor: Zach Nunn

Predecessor: David Young

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

University of Iowa

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Cindy Axne (Democratic Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing Iowa's 3rd Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2019. She left office on January 3, 2023.

Axne (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Iowa's 3rd Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Axne was one of the first two women to win election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa. The other, Abby Finkenauer (D), also won election in 2018.

Prior to serving in the U.S. Congress, Axne worked for the Tribune Company and the Iowa state government and started a business with her husband.

Biography

Axne is a small business owner who runs a digital design firm. She worked for the Iowa state government from 2005 to 2014 and has also worked in various capacities as a political activist. Axne earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University and graduated from the University of Iowa.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2021-2022

Axne was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Financial Services
• Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship and Capital Markets
• Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance
• Committee on Agriculture
• Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit
• Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture

2019-2020

Axne was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Financial Services
• Committee on Agriculture

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Yea	Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (228-206)
Yea	American Rescue Plan Act of 2021   The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (220-210)
Yea	Inflation Reduction Act of 2022   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (220-207)
Yea	Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act   The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (H.R. 3617) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana, establish studies of legal marijuana sales, tax marijuana imports and production, and establish a process to expunge and review federal marijuana offenses. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (220-204)
Yea	For the People Act of 2021   The For the People Act of 2021 (H.R. 1) was a federal election law and government ethics bill approved by the House of Representatives. The Congressional Research Service said the bill would "expand voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It [would also limit] removing voters from voter rolls. ... Further, the bill [would address] campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices." The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (220-210)
Yea	Assault Weapons Ban of 2022   The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that sought to criminalize the knowing import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding devices (LCAFD). The bill made exemptions for grandfathered SAWs and LCAFDs. It required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-213)
Yea	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (363-70)
Yea	James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023   The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 2/3 majority in the House to suspend rules and pass the bill as amended.	Passed (350-80)
Yea	American Dream and Promise Act of 2021   The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6) was an immigration bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed a path to permanent residence status for unauthorized immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure, among other immigration-related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (228-197)
Yea	Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022   The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (342-88)
Yea	Chips and Science Act   The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (243-187)
Yea	Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021   The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (218-211)
Yea	SAFE Banking Act of 2021   The SAFE Banking Act of 2021 (H.R. 1996) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting federal regulators from penalizing banks for providing services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses and defining proceeds from such transactions as not being proceeds from unlawful activity, among other related proposals. Since the House moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill in an expedited process, it required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (321-101)
Yea	Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (260-171)
Yea	Equality Act   The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system, among other related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (224-206)
Yea	Respect for Marriage Act   The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (258-169)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023   The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (230-201)
Yea	Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act   The Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act (H.R. 7688) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit individuals from selling consumer fuels at excessive prices during a proclaimed energy emergency. It would have also required the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the price of gasoline was being manipulated. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-207)
Yea	Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021   The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit the transfer of firearms between private parties unless a licensed firearm vendor conducted a background check on the recipient. The bill also provided for certain exceptions to this requirement. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (227-203)
Yea	Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act   The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (220-203)
Yea	Bipartisan Safer Communities Act   The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (234-193)
Yea	Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. The article of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (232-197)
Yea	Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022   The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (225-201)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)
Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020

Elections

2022

See also: Iowa's 3rd Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 3

Zach Nunn defeated incumbent Cindy Axne in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Zach Nunn (R)	50.3	156,262
		Cindy Axne (D)	49.6	154,117
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	534

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 310,913
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3

Incumbent Cindy Axne advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cindy Axne	99.5	47,710
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	252

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 47,962
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3

Zach Nunn defeated Nicole Hasso and Gary Leffler in the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Zach Nunn	65.8	30,502
		Nicole Hasso	19.4	8,991
		Gary Leffler	14.7	6,800
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	89

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,382
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Mary Ann Hanusa (R)

2020

See also: Iowa's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020

Iowa's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)

Iowa's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 3

Incumbent Cindy Axne defeated David Young and Bryan Holder in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cindy Axne (D)	48.9	219,205
		David Young (R)	47.5	212,997
		Bryan Holder (L)	3.4	15,361
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	384

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 447,947
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3

Incumbent Cindy Axne advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cindy Axne	99.2	76,681
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	623

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 77,304
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3

David Young defeated Bill Schafer in the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Young	69.5	39,103
		Bill Schafer	30.1	16,904
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	227

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 56,234
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joshua Louis Schoenblatt (R)
• Brad Huss (R)

2018

See also: Iowa's 3rd Congressional District election, 2018

See also: Iowa's 3rd Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 Democratic primary)

See also: Iowa's 3rd Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 3

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cindy Axne (D)	49.3	175,642
		David Young (R)	47.1	167,933
		Bryan Holder (L)	2.0	7,267
		Mark Elworth Jr. (Legal Medical Now Party)	0.6	2,015
		Paul Knupp (G)	0.5	1,888
		Joe Grandanette (Independent)	0.4	1,301
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	195

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 356,241 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3

Cindy Axne defeated Eddie Mauro and Pete D'Alessandro in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cindy Axne	58.0	32,910
		Eddie Mauro	26.4	15,006
		Pete D'Alessandro	15.6	8,874

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 56,790
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Heather Ryan (D)
• Theresa Greenfield (D)
• Austin Frerick (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3

Incumbent David Young advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 3 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Young	100.0	21,712

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 21,712
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Cindy Axne did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Cindy Axne did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Axne’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Growing Our Economy and Helping Families Succeed Cindy’s top priority in Washington is putting Iowa families to work in good-paying jobs. She’s working to level the playing field by raising wages, protecting our unions, addressing unfair trade deals that put our workers at risk, and promoting Main Street over Wall Street. For too long, Washington politicians have put politics before Iowa families. Their failure to act has hurt the most vulnerable in our communities and hindered our small business owners and entrepreneurs from starting and growing businesses. As a small business owner, Cindy understands the challenges facing Iowans. She is fighting for our local communities by creating grant programs to support entrepreneurs and small businesses, and passing tax relief so our small businesses can grow. Cindy is also fighting to pass equal pay legislation. Here in Iowa, women and their families are losing a combined income of nearly $5 billion each year. Cindy also supports a National Paid Family Leave Act, so no one risks losing a day’s pay to care for a sick child or loved one. And, she’s fighting to increase the availability of affordable childcare so working families can save for their children’s future. In Congress, Cindy has helped grow our economy by: Strengthening workers’ ability to organize and ensuring that workers can collectively bargain for better wages and benefits by voting for the Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Voting to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, ensuring hardworking Iowans earn enough to support their families. Helping to grow small businesses by leading the creation of a bill to provide funding for rural entrepreneurs, and making it easier for small businesses to cut through red tape. Holding corporations accountable for shipping American jobs overseas by introducing the Outsourcing Accountability Act. Affordable, Effective Healthcare for All Cindy was one of thousands of Iowans who received a letter from Aetna notifying her that her family would no longer be able to receive healthcare from the company. It was the third such letter in nearly four years, each one forcing Cindy to scramble to find a new plan that they could afford, while the clock was ticking down on their coverage. Sadly, her family’s story is not unique. Every day, Cindy hears stories of families leaving their businesses for health insurance or families forced to move out of Iowa because they can no longer afford health insurance here. In Congress, Cindy is fighting for a public option that allows Americans to buy into Medicare so that every American has access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Cindy is working to maintain and improve the Affordable Care Act, stop House Republicans from allowing the return of lifetime limits, make sure that people cannot be discriminated against for having a pre-existing condition, and lower costs including prescription drugs. Finally, Iowa ranks dead last for state psychiatric beds per capita; that’s unacceptable. That’s why Cindy is working to increase funding for our mental health facilities. In Congress, Cindy serves on the Healthcare Task Force and has increased access to quality, affordable healthcare by: Voting for legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs by getting cheaper, safe generics on the market and limiting the amount pharmaceutical companies can charge for life saving drugs. Maintaining protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions. Supporting bills that would increase access to mental healthcare, treatment for diabetes, treatment to combat the obesity epidemic, dental care and child healthcare. Protecting our Public Schools As a mother of two sons in public schools, Cindy understands the importance of a high-quality education. It’s why she fought to pass all day public kindergarten after finding out that West Des Moines’ lottery system meant that half the children in the community were denied access to all day public kindergarten and received two and a half hours of education instead. For America to continue to lead the way in the global economy, it’s time we reinvest in our public schools. We must prepare our children to compete in a global market by promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs that enable students to graduate with the skills they need to be successful in today’s workforce. Preparing the next generation for good-paying jobs that support a family requires providing young people with affordable access to community college, apprenticeships, trade schools, and four-year colleges. Cindy is fighting for a greater investment in our community colleges, and to grow apprenticeship programs and trade schools so that every student has the opportunity to succeed. She is working to expand Pell Grants and cap the interest rates on student loans so that Wall Street banks aren’t profiting by burdening young people with debt that will take them decades to repay. In Congress, Cindy has supported education by: Voting to add skills training and vocational programs to make it easier for kids to get apprenticeships right out of high school. Working to increase college and trade school affordability by increasing access to loan forgiveness programs, expanding the use of Pell Grants, and protecting students from predatory loan practices. Supporting investment in our public schools and educators. Reforming Our Broken Immigration System Cindy knows our immigration system is broken and that both parties in Washington have failed to act. In Congress, Cindy is working with Democrats and Republicans to pass bipartisan immigration reform that will strengthen border security, hold employers who hire undocumented immigrants accountable, and provide a pathway to citizenship for individuals who pay their taxes and don’t have a criminal record. Cindy believes that comprehensive reform must start with strengthening our borders. We need stronger vetting, more agents on the border, and innovative technology, including aerial drones, in order to better secure our borders and save taxpayer dollars. As a mother of two children, Cindy does not believe that children should be punished for the decisions made by their parents. Cindy supports passing the DREAM Act in order to stop the deportation of people who entered the country as children, graduated high school, and attended college or joined the military. In Congress, Cindy has helped fix our broken immigration system by: Co-sponsoring legislation to create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and individuals with temporary protected status. Voting to require that Customs and Border Protection treat everyone in its custody with humanity and respect. Supporting increased funding for Customs and Border Protection to ensure resources are available to maintain humane conditions in border facilities while increasing border security. Protecting Iowa’s Farms & Rural Communities As a fifth-generation Iowan, with farm roots in Warren County, Cindy understands the importance of supporting our rural areas. In Congress, she is fighting to rebuild our infrastructure, grow our rural economies, protect our farmers and maintain our rural quality of life. Cindy is standing up for Iowa’s family farms and that starts by ensuring the Farm Bill works for all farmers, especially new farmers and small to mid-size farms. For our rural communities to be competitive, we must reinvest in a solid infrastructure. That means repairing our roads and nearly 5,000 structurally deficient bridges, water and sewer systems, and finally making sure that everyone has access to cellular and broadband technology. Not only will that fix our infrastructure, but it will create thousands of jobs in the process. Iowa can be the leader in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. While Cindy worked at the State of Iowa, she oversaw the Governor’s Agenda on Clean Energy and the Environment, helping to bring the wind industry to scale in Iowa. In Congress, Cindy is fighting to increase research and development in the areas of soil health, carbon sequestration, and water quality to clean up our water, improve soil for better yields, and create jobs in the process. In order to protect our rural quality of life, Cindy is fighting to protect Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, so our rural hospitals can continue to operate and serve those who are at risk. She is fighting for funding for our public schools so they can retain quality educators, keep up with technology, and bring in more trades and apprenticeship programs for our children. She’s working to protect and grow our Main Streets by providing tax breaks for our micro businesses that make up 92% of all U.S. Businesses. Cindy is working with local communities to increase cellular and broadband access in rural communities so that employers can bring good paying jobs to our small towns. In Congress, Cindy has supported our rural communities by: Standing against House Democratic Leadership to ensure family farmers impacted by the trade war receive the financial help to keep their farms running. Securing an additional $3 billion in the Emergency Supplemental Bill for our Midwest flooded communities. Working to protect our small refineries by holding the administration accountable and making sure big oil companies pay their fair share. Supporting rural health care by increasing reimbursement rates for rural clinics and eliminating red tape that prevents providers from treating patients. Joining the House Rural Broadband Task Force to find solutions to the rural digital divide so our rural small business owners and farms have the technology to compete in today’s economy. Writing and passing legislation through the House that will increase capital for rural small business owners. Building Iowa’s Leadership in Renewable Energy & Tackling Climate Change Climate change is real, and we are feeling the devastating effects. It’s already hurting America’s economy and it will only get worse if we don’t act. We have seen it first hand here in Iowa, with crippling droughts and floods putting our food supply and farmers’ livelihoods at stake. In Washington, Cindy is fighting to protect our environment and invest in renewable energy. Cindy is proud of her work on the Governor’s Agenda for Energy Efficiency and a Clean Environment, which helped bring the wind industry to scale and made Iowa the number two state in the nation in wind energy production. She’s working to bring clean energy jobs to Iowa, including solar, wind, smart grid technology, and battery storage. She is also promoting investment in more efficient cars, appliances, buildings, and industrial plants to cut energy use in half. In Congress, Cindy has protected our environment by: Supporting re-entry by the United States into the Paris Climate Accord. Co-sponsoring legislation to increase funding for wind energy research and land and water conservation. Voting to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas drilling. Securing provisions to extend the biodiesel tax credit and second-generation biofuel producer credit. Co-sponsoring legislation that creates a National Climate Bank which would focus on providing investments to new green energy solutions – including reducing greenhouse gas, investing in renewable energy projects, and supporting environmental justice and job creation – especially in rural areas. Returning our Democracy Back to the People Too many politicians are in the pocket of Washington special interests — and Iowa families are worse off because of it. People across Iowa feel like Congress isn’t working for them. If we’re going to fix our healthcare system, lower prescription drug costs, and build a stronger economy, we’ve got to end the pay-to-play politics and corruption that rig the system against hardworking Iowa families. Cindy introduced a seven-point plan to get money out of politics. The plan includes proposals to implement automatic voter registration at age 18, commit to holding regular town halls and publicize open meetings, require company boards to disclose political activities, improve government transparency and accountability, and end abuse of Congressional perks and information. In Congress, Cindy has worked to strengthen democracy by: Voting to require politicians to disclose who their secret dark-money campaign funds come from and to limit the power of special interest lobbyists in Washington. Writing legislation to ban former Members of Congress from becoming lobbyists, prevent tax payer dollars from being spent on first class airfare, and prohibit Congress from giving itself a raise until the debt crisis is addressed. Helping to establish the End Corruption Caucus in Congress to fight back against special interests, and pass legislation that puts working families first. Women’s Reproductive Rights Here in Iowa and around the country, we have seen women’s rights attacked. In 2017, Iowa lost four Planned Parenthood healthcare facilities leaving over 14,000 women and men without primary care services. That’s unacceptable. As a member of Congress, Cindy is fighting to keep Washington politicians out of the personal decisions between women and their doctors. That’s why Cindy is working to ensure that Planned Parenthood funding continues, allowing women and men to continue to receive vital healthcare services. In Congress, Cindy has supported Woman’s Reproductive Rights by: Supporting prohibitions on restrictions on reproductive healthcare that don’t apply to similar medical care by co-sponsoring the Women’s Healthcare Protection Act. Co-sponsoring the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Voting to create family planning educational programs across the different military branches. Keeping our Promises and Protecting Social Security and Medicare It’s been our commitment for the last 70 years; if you work hard and pay your taxes, Social Security and Medicare will be there for you when you retire. But Donald Trump’s budgets try to cut Medicare and privatize it, threatening seniors who have worked hard and paid into these systems. Cindy is working to stop Trump, honoring the promises we’ve made to seniors. As a volunteer for years with Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly, Cindy’s seen up close how much our seniors depend on Social Security and Medicare. In Congress, Cindy is fighting Republican efforts to privatize and defund these programs so our seniors and families can live their lives with dignity. In Congress, Cindy has supported older Americans by: Co-sponsoring multiple bills to strengthen Medicare to ensure seniors have access to quality, affordable healthcare. Protecting multiemployer pension plans by co-sponsoring the Butch Lewis Act because it’s crucial that all retirees get the benefits they worked hard to earn. Opposing the President’s budget that would cut Social Security. Veterans Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District is home to over 40,000 veterans. These brave Iowans put their lives on the line here and abroad to keep our country safe. But we are letting them down by not doing our duty to provide them with the healthcare, support, and job opportunities to succeed in civilian life. Cindy is fighting to ensure veterans get the physical and mental healthcare they need, as well as sorely-needed skills training and job opportunities. In Congress, Cindy has supported our veterans by: Co-sponsoring legislation to increase support provided to Gold Star families. Supporting increased penalties for criminals who target veterans. Co-sponsoring legislation that supports Veteran-owned small businesses by providing preference for government contracts to businesses owned by Veterans. Co-sponsoring the Homeless Veterans Families Act, legislation to help homeless Veterans with children secure safe places to live. Equality for our LGBTQ community Cindy was proud when Iowa led the way on marriage equality, and now it’s the law of the land in America. But, the fight for equality is not over. Every day our family members, friends, and co-workers face discrimination in the workforce and their personal lives. Cindy is fighting to crack down on discrimination against LGBTQ Americans, and to defend the hard-won LGBTQ protections that are under assault in Washington. Cindy was proud to receive the Ally of the Year award in 2019 for her leadership in the LGBTQ community from Iowa Safe Schools, whose mission is to provide safe, supportive, and nurturing learning environments and communities for LGBTQ & allied youth. In Congress, Cindy has supported the LGBTQ community by: Co-sponsoring the Equality Act, which will crack down on discrimination against LGBTQ Americans. Voting to block a proposed Department of Housing and Urban Development rule that would allow homeless shelters to deny equal access to services for transgender people. Co-sponsoring legislation that provided protections for LGBTQ adults when adopting children.	”
—Cindy Axne’s campaign website (2020)

2018

Campaign website

Axne's campaign website stated the following:

Growing Our Economy and Helping Families Succeed

When Cindy goes to Washington, her top priority will be putting Iowa families to work in good-paying jobs. She’ll level the playing field by raising wages, addressing unfair trade deals that put our workers at risk, protecting our unions and promoting Main Street over Wall Street.

For too long, Washington politicians have been putting partisan politics before Iowa families. Their failure to act has hurt the most vulnerable in our communities and hindered our small business owners and entrepreneurs from starting and growing businesses. As a small business owner, Cindy understands the challenges facing Iowans. Cindy will fight for our local businesses by creating grant programs to support entrepreneurs and small businesses and passing tax relief so our small businesses can grow.

Cindy will fight to pass equal pay legislation. Here in Iowa, women and their families are losing a combined income of nearly $5 billion each year. Cindy will also support a National Paid Family Leave Act, so no one risks losing a day’s pay to care for a sick child or loved one. And she’ll work to increase the availability of affordable childcare so working families can save for their children’s future.

Affordable, Effective Healthcare for All

Cindy was one of thousands of Iowans who received a letter from Aetna last year notifying her that her family would no longer be able to receive healthcare from the company. It was the third such letter in nearly four years each one forcing Cindy to scramble to find a new plan that they could afford, while the clock was ticking down on their coverage. Sadly, her family’s story is not unique. Every day, Cindy hears stories of families leaving their businesses for health insurance or families forced to move out of Iowa because they can no longer afford health insurance here.

In Congress, Cindy will fight for a real public option that allows Americans to choose between Medicare or Medicaid so that every American has the access to high quality affordable healthcare. Cindy will fight to maintain and improve the Affordable Care Act and stop House Republicans from allowing the return of lifetime limits, make sure that people cannot be discriminated against for having a pre-existing condition and lower costs including prescription drugs. Finally, Iowa ranks dead last for state psychiatric beds per capita, that’s unacceptable. That’s why Cindy will increase funding for our mental health facilities and work with partner organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness to address this crisis.

Protecting our Public Schools

As a mother of two sons in public schools, Cindy understands the importance of a high-quality education. It’s why she fought to pass all day public kindergarten in West Des Moines after finding out that West Des Moines’ lottery system meant that half the children in the community were denied access to all day public kindergarten and got two and a half hours of education instead. For America to continue to lead the way in the global economy it’s time we reinvest in our public-schools. We must prepare our children to compete in a global market by promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs that enable students to graduate with the skills they need to be successful in today’s workforce.

Preparing the next generation for good-paying jobs that support a family requires providing young people with affordable access to community college, apprenticeships, trade schools or four-year colleges. Cindy will fight for a greater investment in our community colleges and grow apprenticeship programs and trade schools so that every student has the opportunity to succeed. She will work to expand Pell Grants and cap the interest rates on student loans so that Wall Street banks aren’t profiting by burdening young people with debt that will take them decades to repay.

Protecting Iowa’s Farms & Rural Communities

As a fifth-generation Iowan, with farm roots in Warren County, Cindy understands the importance of our rural areas. In Congress, she will fight to rebuild our infrastructure, grow our rural economies, protect our farmers and maintain our rural quality of life. Cindy will stand up for Iowa’s family farms and that starts by ensuring the Farm Bill works for all farmers including new farmers and small to mid-size farms.

For our rural communities to be competitive, we must reinvest in a solid infrastructure. That means repairing our roads and nearly 5,000 structurally deficient bridges, water and sewer systems, and finally making sure that everyone has access to cellular and broadband technology. Not only will that fix our infrastructure, but it will create thousands of jobs in the process.

Iowa can be the leader in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. While Cindy was at the State of Iowa, she oversaw the Governor’s Agenda on Clean Energy and the Environment, helping bring the wind industry to scale in Iowa. In Congress, Cindy will fight to increase research and development in the areas of soil health, carbon sequestration and water quality to clean up our water, improve soil for better yields and create jobs in the process.

In order to protect our rural quality of life. Cindy will fight to protect Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, so our rural hospitals can continue to operate and serve those who are at risk. She will fight for funding for our public schools, so they can retain quality educators, keep up with technology, and bring in more trades programs for our children. She’ll protect and grow our main streets by providing tax breaks for our micro businesses that make up 92% of all U.S. Businesses. Cindy will work with local communities to create work hubs, turning derelict buildings into sustainable, connected workplaces, creating the infrastructure for employers to bring good paying jobs to our small towns.

Building Iowa’s Leadership in Renewable Energy & Tackling Climate Change

Climate change is real, and we are feeling the devastating effects. It’s already affecting America’s economy and it will only get worse if we don’t act. We have seen it first hand here in Iowa, with crippling droughts and floods putting our food supply and farmers’ livelihoods at stake. In Washington, Cindy will fight to protect our environment and invest in renewable energy.

Cindy is proud of her work on the Governor’s Agenda for Energy Efficiency and Clean Environment, which helped bring the wind industry to scale and made Iowa the number two state in the nation in wind energy production. She’ll work to bring clean energy jobs to Iowa including solar, wind, smart grid technology and battery storage. She’ll also promote investment in more efficient cars, appliances, buildings and industrial plants to cut energy use in half.

Returning our Democracy Back to the People

In the years following the Supreme Court decision Citizens United, our democracy has been under attack by dark money. We’ve seen billions wasted on political campaigns from corporations and mega donors trying to buy our elections. It’s why our campaign has pledged not to take corporate PAC money, and instead is focused on being powered by grassroots supporters. It’s time Washington passes true campaign finance reform, and that starts with passing legislation that forces outside groups to disclose their donors. Finally, we must pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United ruling and bring an end to the dark money which is buying our elections.

Women’s Reproductive Rights

Here in Iowa and around the country we have seen women’s rights attacked. Just last year alone, Iowa lost four planned parenthood facilities leaving over 14,000 women and men without primary care services. That’s unacceptable. As a member of Congress, Cindy will fight to keep Washington politicians out of the Doctor’s office and out of the personal decisions between women and their doctors. That’s why Cindy will ensure that Planned Parenthood funding continues, allowing women and men to continue to receive vital healthcare services.

Keeping our Promises and Protecting Social Security and Medicare

It’s been our commitment for the last seventy years, if you work hard and pay your taxes that Social Security and Medicare will be there for you when you retire. But Donald Trump and Paul Ryan’s budgets try to cut Medicare and privatize it, threatening seniors who have worked hard and paid into these systems. Cindy will stop Trump and Ryan, honoring the promises we’ve made to seniors. As a volunteer for years with Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly, Cindy’s seen up close how much our seniors depend on Social Security and Medicare. In Congress, Cindy will fight Republican efforts to privatize and defund these programs so our seniors and families can live their lives with dignity.

Veterans

Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District is home to over 40,000 veterans. These brave men and women put their lives on the line here and abroad to keep our country safe. But America is letting them down, not doing our duty to provide them with the health care, support, and job opportunities to succeed in civilian life. When Cindy’s in Congress, she will fight to reform and modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs so our veterans get the physical and mental health care they need, skills training and job opportunities, and making sure companies are hiring and rehiring veterans after they serve.

Equality for our LGBTQ community

Cindy was proud when Iowa led the way on marriage equality, and now it’s the law of the land in America. But the fight for equality is not over. Every day our family members, friends, and co-workers face discrimination in the workforce and their personal lives. Cindy will fight for the Equality Act which will crack down on discrimination against LGBT Americans from employers, landlords, or anyone else. And she will defend hard-won LGBT rights that are under assault in Washington.

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Axne's 2018 election campaign.

"Efficient" - released August 22, 2018

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by David Young (R)	U.S. House Iowa District 3 2019-2023	Succeeded by Zach Nunn (R)

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Iowa's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Joni Ernst (R)

Chuck Grassley (R)

Representatives

District 1

Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)

District 2

Ashley Hinson (R)

District 3

Zach Nunn (R)

District 4

Randy Feenstra (R)

Republican Party (6)