Democrat Cindy Axne will get a boost from DCCC's national 'Red to Blue' list

Brianne Pfannenstiel | The Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Young vs Axne in race for Iowa's 3rd District Republican Congressman David Young and Democrat Cindy Axne will face off in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District election in November.

Democrat Cindy Axne's bid to unseat incumbent Republican David Young will get a boost from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program.

The program provides organizational, strategic and fundraising support to Democratic candidates running competitive campaigns against sitting Republicans in the U.S. House.

Axne, 53, is a former state government official and a small-business owner from West Des Moines.

"(Axne) is a proven leader within her community, having successfully advocated for all-day kindergarten for every child in West Des Moines," DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján said in a statement. "She’ll bring that fight to Congress to lower healthcare costs and get results for Iowans. Her impressive primary victory and grassroots-driven campaign puts her on track to flip this seat in November."

The race in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District was already seen as competitive, said a DCCC spokeswoman. But Axne's strong showing on primary night — she won handily with 58 percent of the vote against two other Democrats — raised her profile for the Red to Blue program.

Axne will take on Young, a two-term Republican from Van Meter, who was unopposed for his party's nomination. So was Bryan Jack Holder of Council Bluffs, a Libertarian Party candidate who has unsuccessfully run for public office in the past.