Cindy Axne

Axne took office amid the 2018–19 United States federal government shutdown and requested that her pay be withheld until the shutdown ended. On January 30, 2019, Axne co-sponsored a bill to prevent future federal government shutdowns from happening; the bill was titled Shutdown to End All Shutdowns (SEAS Act).

During the 2018 elections, Axne ran for the United States House of Representatives in Iowa's 3rd congressional district.

After graduating from college, Axne worked in leadership development and strategic planning for the Tribune Company in Chicago. From 2005 through 2014, she worked in Iowa state government on service delivery in over 20 state agencies in the executive branch.

Cynthia Lynne Axne (née Wadle, April 20, 1965) is a businesswoman and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 3rd congressional district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated incumbent Republican David Young in the 2018 elections. The district is anchored in the state capital, Des Moines; it serves much of the state's southwest quadrant, including Council Bluffs.

Axne was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1965, the daughter of Terry and Joanne Wadle. 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.