Axne announces reelection bid in Iowa’s 3rd District

By: Katie Akin - November 12, 2021 1:37 pm

Rep. Cindy Axne, IA-03, announced Nov. 12 that she will seek reelection to the U.S. House. (Headshot courtesy of Axne’s office, map courtesy of Iowa Legislative Services Agency)

U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne announced Friday that she will run for reelection in Iowa’s 3rd District.

“Three years ago, I came to Congress to fight for Iowans and their needs. Since then, I’ve delivered tax cuts, disaster relief, and critical support to Iowa’s families and businesses,” Axne tweeted on Friday morning. “But my work is far from over, so I will seek to represent #IA03 again in 2022!”

Axne’s announcement comes just two days after Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks announced she would be moving into Iowa’s newly drawn 1st District and running there. Lawmakers approved a redistricting plan in October that put Miller-Meeks’ hometown in the 3rd District with Axne, but the two incumbents will not face off in 2022.

Axne, 56, was first elected to office in 2018. She won reelection in 2020, the only Iowa Democrat to retain a seat in D.C.: Rep. Ashley Finkenauer lost her seat to Republican newcomer Rep. Ashley Hinson, and Miller-Meeks eked out a win in the 2nd District after Democrat Rep. Dave Loebsack retired.

Iowa Democrats voiced their support for Axne after the announcement. Ross Wilburn, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, said he looked forward to campaigning for Axne.

“Congresswoman Cindy Axne is a true champion and tireless advocate for Iowa’s working families,” Wilburn said in a statement. “From securing the largest investment in rural broadband in history to bringing down the high cost of child care, Rep. Axne has proven she’ll put in the work to get the job done.”

Republicans quickly issued a statement opposing Axne’s campaign. Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann called her “one of Washington’s swampiest politicians,” tying Axne to Democratic leaders including Rep. Nancy Pelosi, President Joe Biden and “the Squad,” a group of the party’s most progressive members.

“I look forward to being on the front lines standing arm and arm with Iowans in the Third District while we stand up to defeat her,” Kaufmann said in a statement.

Axne already faces several Republican challengers in the 3rd District, including state Sen. Zach Nunn, former state Rep. Mary Ann Hanusa, activist Gary Leffler and political newcomer Nicole Hasso.

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Katie Akin

Katie Akin is a former Iowa Capital Dispatch reporter. Katie began her career as an intern at PolitiFact, debunking viral fake news and fact-checking state and national politicians. She moved to Iowa in 2019 for a politics internship at the Des Moines Register, where she assisted with Iowa Caucus coverage, multimedia projects and the Register’s Iowa Poll. She became the Register’s retail reporter in early 2020, chronicling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Central Iowa’s restaurants and retailers.