Former Rep. David Young wins GOP primary in bid for old House seat

Former Rep. David Young (R-Iowa) won the Republican primary in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, setting him up a rematch in November against Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) who unseated him in 2018. 

With just over half of precincts reporting, The Associated Press called the primary for Young, who bested retired U.S. Army Colonel Bill Schafer 71 percent to 29 percent. 

Young was first elected to Congress in 2014. He lost his reelection bid to Axne in 2018, the same year that Democrats flipped dozens of Republican-held House seats and recaptured a majority in the chamber. 

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, currently rates Axne’s reelection as a “toss up.” President Trump won Iowa’s 3rd District in 2016 by a narrow 3.5-point margin.