FINKENHAUER, Abby

FINKENHAUER, Abby. The youngest of four siblings, all first-generation college graduates, Finkenhauer chose to stay in Iowa for college, earning her degree from Drake University. Coming from a working class family in Dubuque County, her father was a Union Pipefitter Welder while her mother worked for the DUBUQUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. (1)

After college, she worked at the COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER DUBUQUE with Jackson County, Jones County, Delaware County, Clayton County, and Allamakee County affiliate foundations. She served on the board of GREATER DUBUQUE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. In 2014, Finkenhauer was elected to represent Dubuque in the Iowa Legislature. She received the 2017 “Rising Star Award” from the Democratic Activist Women’s Network (DAWN’s List), nominated by former President of the Iowa Senate, Senator Pam Jochum. (2)

In 2018 she defeated Rodney BLUM, a two-term congressman, and won election to the United States House of Representatives. (3) In her victory, she became the first woman to represent the 1st Congressional District in Iowa and the second youngest woman ever elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. (3)

Her election also set financial records. She reported raising $1.6 million for the 3rd Quarter reporting period. That more than doubled her previous quarter’s record of $765,000, which was already an all-time record for an Iowa Democratic congressional candidate for one quarter. (4)

On January 14, 2019 Finkenauer made United States House of Representatives history. She introduced H.R. 246, the Stimulating Innovation through Procurement Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill to expand the market for American-made biofuels. The Clean Fuels Deployment Act of 2020, co-sponsored by Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Roger Marshall (R-KS), provide funding for installing and converting fuel pump infrastructure to deliver higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel. The bill authorized $600 million over six years to help retailers offer higher ethanol blends, expand the geographic area selling ethanol blends, support biodiesel, bioheat, and sustainable aviation fuel markets, and accelerate the deployment of fueling infrastructure. Given recent uncertainties in the renewable fuels industry, it was the first bill authored by a freshman member of Congress. She became the youngest woman in history to pass a bill in Congress. (5)

Defeated for re-election, Finkenhauer announced in 2021 that she would campaign for the United States Senate seat held by Charles Grassley.

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Source:

1. "Meet Abby Finkenhauer," Online: https://www.abbyfinkenauer.com/about/

2. Crowder, Courtney, "This Iowan Could Become The Youngest Woman in Congress. But First, She Has To Beat Incumbent Rod Blum" Des Moines Register, Online: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/07/abby-finkenauer-youngest-woman-congress-iowa-rod-blum-democrats-republicans-house-1st-district/679265002/ (Note: The headine is incorrect because another woman a few months younger was elected earlier.)

3. "Abby Finkenauer To Be First Woman To Represent Iowa’s 1st Congressional District," News 8 TV, Online: https://wqad.com/2018/11/06/abby-finkenauer-to-be-first-woman-to-represent-iowas-1st-congressional-district/

4. Pyrnard, "Abby Finkenauer Breaks Another Iowa Record With $1.6 Million Quarter," Iowa Starting Line. Online: https://iowastartingline.com/2018/10/01/abby-finkenauer-breaks-another-iowa-record-with-1-6-million-quarter/

5. Finknauer press release