Iowa Republican ousted in 2018 says he will run to reclaim House seat

Former GOP Rep. David Young (Iowa) said Monday that he is launching a campaign against the Democrat who unseated him during the 2018 midterm elections.

“I spent a lot of time with folks around the 3rd District, listening to their priorities and listening to their voices, and they are not being heard right now in the U.S. Congress,” Young told The Des Moines Register, referencing Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa). 

{mosads}”The policies that Cindy Axne is putting forward with Nancy Pelosi is not what Iowans are talking about or wanting,” he added.

Young, who served in Congress between 2014 and 2019, told the newspaper that Axne had a poor voting record and that he was eager to begin campaigning against her.

The former congressman said that the freshman Democrat should be focused on issues such as lower taxes, a stronger economy, reducing government regulations and border security. 

“[Axne] has broken her promises to Iowa voters,” Young said on Twitter. “Our representative should be fighting for Iowa, not voting to enrich their campaigns with your tax dollars. This mission is personal to me and so many other Iowans.”

.@RepCindyAxne has broken her promises to Iowa voters. Our representative should be fighting for Iowa, not voting to enrich their campaigns with your tax dollars. This mission is personal to me and so many other Iowans. I am running for #IA03! Join me: https://t.co/YxrHbNdTwI pic.twitter.com/xVKgyeqzMg

— David Young (@YoungForIowa) May 6, 2019

Axne, a small-business owner, became one of the first women to represent Iowa in the House of Representatives after narrowly defeating Young in last year’s election. She beat the Republican by about 5,000 votes, according to The Des Moines Register. 

Axne ran a campaign that voiced strong opposition to President Trump and the Republican Party. She slammed Young’s vote for the GOP tax cut law and House Republicans’ bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare during her campaign. 

“Iowa voters rejected David Young because he broke his promise to lower heath care costs and protect coverage for Iowans with pre-existing conditions,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Brooke Goren said in a statement to The Des Moines Register. “Young can run for Congress, but he can’t run away from his Washington record of putting special interests ahead of the needs of hardworking Iowans.”