Dueling Ads Released in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District

DES MOINES, Iowa – U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, and her challenger former Republican Congressman David Young released ads in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District race this week.

Axne’s releases a pair of ads, one negative, one positive.

Axne’s first ad says Young voted with corporations votes her campaign says opened the door to Social Security and Medicare cuts.

“Any Iowan who wants to know who rejected Congressman David Young puts at the top of his list of priorities only has to look at his voting record in Congress. Young has put giving tax breaks to his corporate donors ahead of protecting middle-class families and their benefits, and voters won’t forget that when casting their vote this fall,” Ian Mariani, spokesperson for Cindy Axne for Congress, said.

Watch:

The Young campaign countered saying that Axne continues to hide from her real record.

“Cindy Axne conveniently ignores the fact she ran on repealing the tax relief David Young voted for,” Young campaign manager Andy Swanson said. “Repealing the tax relief would mean higher taxes for Iowa workers and small businesses who saw their tax rates lowered and the standard deduction and child tax credit doubled. Let us also not forget her support of a Public Option health care plan which would close 52 rural Iowa hospitals cutting health care access for seniors, and that she also has not answered the question of why she gave her vote to Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin when she didn’t show up to work to vote. David Young, on the other hand, showed up for every vote – never missing a vote on the House floor or in committee where he supported tax relief for Iowa families and passed legislation protecting Iowans with pre-existing conditions.”

Axne’s second ad highlights her focus on vocational skills training, including a co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill to secure funding for skills training programs and legislation she co-sponsored to help connect high school students with local apprenticeship programs.

“I understand that college isn’t the only path to success, and am committed to making sure that every Iowan has the skills they need to get a good-paying job,” Axne said.

Watch:

Young targets Axne’s proxy voting.

Young released a second ad highlighting Axne utilizing proxy voting (the first ad was last week). The ad, entitled, “Do Her Job” highlights constituent reactions to Axne’s using U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., to be her proxy vote on several bills when she was away from Washington, D.C.

“Everywhere we go, we talk to people who are not happy Cindy Axne is using the new proxy rule to outsource her vote to another representative, especially a far-left Congressman who isn’t from Iowa,” Swanson, commenting on the ad, said. “Iowans expect their representatives to show up for work. Cindy Axne hasn’t and hasn’t been honest with her bosses about why she’s skipping work. That’s unacceptable.”

Axne voted for House Resolution 965 allowing members to vote by proxy, which passed the House of Representatives on May 15, 2020, by a party line vote of 217 yeas to 189 nays (Roll Call 107). This was the first time in the history of the House of Representatives where proxy voting was allowed. This includes times when our nation was in the midst of civil war, two world wars, as well as other epidemics and pandemics. 

Axne has used the proxy voting process three times giving Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District vote to Raskin who represents Maryland’s 8^th Congressional District. He has touted, on his official congressional website, how he is one of the most liberal members of Congress. Raskin attended a protest in June of 2020 which called for defunding of the police. He voted against the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and referred to it as a hoax.

Axne has missed many votes on issues including policing reform and D.C. Statehood. She also did not show up for work when the House voted on post office reforms on August 22nd, even though she was concerned enough earlier in the week to call on U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to resign. There is no mention or excuse from her or her office of not being in Washington, D.C. during those vote day or why she was physically not present for those important votes. 

Here is a list of votes she was not physically present for (click on the “Caption Text” tab and search “Axne” to find when Raskin voted for Iowa’s Third District. Click on the “Legislative Actions” tab for bills considered that day.)

• Votes on Thursday June 25 (4 votes missed)
• Votes on Friday, June 26 (3 votes)
• Votes for Saturday, August 22 (4 votes)

Axne’s campaign countered.

“Time and time again, Cindy Axne has demonstrated her accessibility and commitment to the Iowans she represents in Congress. Throughout her first term, she has listened to them, stood up for them, and fought for them – and those she has helped won’t forget that when making their choice this fall,” Mariani said.