Finkenauer, Abby, 1988-
Variant namesAbby Lea Finkenauer (born December 27, 1988) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 1st congressional district from 2019 to 2021. Finkenauer is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2022.
Born in Sherrill, Iowa, she graduated from Hempstead High School in Dubuque. In 2011, Finkenauer graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, with a bachelor's degree in public relations. In 2006, Finkenauer was a page for U.S. Representative Jim Nussle, a Republican who represented Northeast Iowa in Congress. The following year, Finkenauer was a page for Pat Murphy, the Democratic Speaker of the Iowa State House of Representatives. In 2007, Finkenauer was the Iowa volunteer coordinator for the Joe Biden presidential campaign. She was later legislative aide for Iowa Democratic State Representative Todd Taylor and communications specialist for the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. After Murphy gave up his seat to run for Congress, Finkenauer ran for Murphy's old seat and won. She was unopposed for reelection in 2016.
On November 6, 2018, Finkenauer and fellow Democrat Cindy Axne became the first women from Iowa elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Finkenauer also became the second-youngest woman to ever be elected to the U.S. House. Finkenauer is the youngest woman ever to pass a bill in the House of Representatives – a bipartisan bill focused on supporting small businesses. In Congress she built a reputation as someone who would work with anyone in either party to get things done, including funding the Children’s Health Insurance Program, strengthening Iowa’s flood prevention infrastructure and securing needed resources for our rural communities. In November 2020, Finkenauer was narrowly defeated in the general election by Republican challenger Ashley Hinson.
In August 2020, she married Daniel Wasta, the Political Director for the Elizabeth Warren 2020 presidential campaign in Iowa.
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alumnusOrAlumnaOf | Drake University | corporateBody |
memberOf | Iowa. General Assembly. House of Representatives | corporateBody |
subordinateOf | Nussle, Jim, 1960- | person |
memberOf | United States. Congress. House | person |
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Des Moines | IA | US | |
Cedar Rapids | IA | US | |
Dubuque | IA | US | |
Sherrill | IA | US |
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Legislative assistants |
Representatives, U.S. Congress |
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Person
Birth 1988-12-27
Female
Americans
English