Aime Wichtendahl is a Democratic state representative from Iowa House District 80 who took office in January 2025 and is seeking re-election on November 3, 2026.[1][2]Ballotpedia lists her career experience as customer service representative, retirement plan specialist and website designer.[1]
Aime Wichtendahl was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and graduated from La Salle High School.[1]She earned a bachelor's degree from Mount Mercy University in 2005.[1]Her career experience includes working as a customer service representative, retirement plan specialist and website designer, and she has been affiliated with the American Federation of Musicians Local 137.[1]
Wichtendahl won the June 4, 2024 Democratic primary for Iowa House District 80 and defeated Republican John Thompson in the November 5, 2024 general election, succeeding Art Staed.[1]For 2025-2026 Ballotpedia shows her assigned to the Economic Growth, House Local Government, House Veterans Affairs and House Ways and Means committees.[1]She advanced from the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary and is listed as the candidate in the general election.[1]
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned
›Jobs & cost of living117 with · 10 against127 votes
Directs the state to seek federal approval to limit food stamp (SNAP) purchases to healthy foods, and, once approved, provides $1 million in grants for the Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps SNAP recipients buy fruits and vegetables.
Bars licensing boards from requiring continuing education unrelated to the licensed profession, and directs the Iowa Supreme Court to do the same for attorneys and to drop the requirement of an ABA-accredited law school to sit for the bar exam.
On the version voted Mar 24, 2026: Replaces the premium tax on health maintenance organizations with a new health care-related tax, transfers about $347 million from the taxpayer relief fund to the general fund, and adds $89 million to Medicaid for the fiscal year ending June 2026.
Allows school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to employ chaplains, or engage unpaid chaplains, to support students without a state license; bars requiring students to use them or using a chaplain instead of a school counselor.
Establishes a center for intellectual freedom at the University of Iowa to teach and research ideas shaping the American constitutional order, offer free speech and civil discourse programming, and offer an American history and civil government course.
Requires regents universities to set general education requirements totaling at most 37 credit hours, including western and American heritage, and bars those courses from distorting historical events or teaching identity politics or that systemic racism or privilege is inherent in U.S. or Iowa institutions.
Adds kratom, including its plant parts, synthetic equivalents and compounds such as mitragynine, to the state's list of schedule I controlled substances, making possession a serious misdemeanor for a first offense, with harsher penalties for repeat offenses.
Changes how criminal fines are divided, from 91% for the state court administrator and 9% for counties to 85% and 8%, sending the remaining 7% to a new victim restitution fund run by the Department of Justice.
Raises from $1,000 to $50,000 the cost above which county election commissioners must take bids, allows informal bidding at or below that amount, and removes many county auditor duties and a bond-indexing requirement.
Adds kratom, including its plant parts, synthetic equivalents and compounds such as mitragynine, to the state's list of schedule I controlled substances, making possession a serious misdemeanor for a first offense, with harsher penalties for repeat offenses.
Directs the state to seek federal approval to limit food stamp (SNAP) purchases to healthy foods, and, once approved, provides $1 million in grants for the Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps SNAP recipients buy fruits and vegetables.
On the version voted Mar 24, 2026: Replaces the premium tax on health maintenance organizations with a new health care-related tax, transfers about $347 million from the taxpayer relief fund to the general fund, and adds $89 million to Medicaid for the fiscal year ending June 2026.
On the version voted Apr 15, 2026: Requires commercial driver's license applicants to pass a state English proficiency test starting by March 2027, makes driving a commercial vehicle without sufficient English a serious misdemeanor with a $1,000 fine, and fines carriers $10,000 per such driver they use.
Bars the Department of Transportation and third-party testers from using any language other than English to examine driver's license applicants, and removes driver's license examinations from the exceptions to Iowa's English-only rule for official documents.
On the version voted Mar 31, 2026: Creates a statewide urban design and specifications board, coordinated by the Department of Transportation and Iowa State University, to publish design and specifications manuals. Requires a report on added costs before a city council approves a street project that departs from state standards.
Sets state rules for on-farm anaerobic digesters tied to livestock feeding operations, requiring Department of Natural Resources construction permits with fees up to $250, design standards, separation distances, and plans for spreading digestate on cropland, with violations subject to existing penalties.
Sets fiscal 2026 budgets for the state agriculture and natural resources departments and related programs from the general fund and other state funds, including animal disease preparedness, water quality and state park upkeep, and keeps money from selling state park land for that park.
Prohibits releasing chemicals, substances, or apparatus into the atmosphere to affect temperature, weather, climate, or sunlight, or for any purpose not otherwise regulated by law. Makes it a class D felony, each day a separate offense, and exempts licensed aerial application of agricultural inputs.
Appropriates FY 2026-27 money to the Economic Development Authority, Finance Authority, Workforce Development, and regents universities, and codifies the housing renewal program, with repayments retained by the nonprofit Iowa affiliate for new awards.
Creates a crime of selling or transferring controlled substances within 300 feet of a homeless shelter or housing facility, adding a year to the sentence and barring probation. Makes it an aggravated misdemeanor for an operator to knowingly allow drug possession or use there.
As introduced, repeals the Iowa smart planning principles and the requirement that cities and counties consider them when developing or amending comprehensive plans and land development regulations.
Lets members of Congress, statewide elected officials and state legislators ask county assessors and recorders to redact their names from public documents, and directs the secretary of state to recommend by November 1, 2026, how to protect candidates' home addresses.
On the version voted Apr 30, 2026: Requires a local ordinance before automatic license plate readers are used, limits use to state-approved readers, bans facial recognition with them, requires logged searches tied to a case number, limits data sharing, and requires deleting images within 30 days unless relevant to a criminal case.
On the version voted Apr 28, 2025: Changes the ban on flying drones over others' farms to cover flights, without the owner's consent, within 400 feet of farm animals, equipment or structures on farmsteads outside city limits with at least $15,000 in farm sales the prior year, and broadens what counts as drone surveillance.
Requires community college boards and the Board of Regents to adopt policies barring, and bars other Iowa degree-granting colleges from, new employment contracts starting July 1, 2026, with H-1B visa holders who are citizens of federally designated foreign adversary nations or state sponsors of terrorism.
On the version voted Apr 9, 2025: Caps National Guard service scholarships at the member's tuition minus federal military tuition aid received, and removes the rule that awards cannot depend on a member's unit, drill location or Army versus Air Guard branch.
Lets Iowa residents who are current or former members of the Iowa National Guard or an Iowa reserve unit, with satisfactory or honorable service, serve on county veteran affairs commissions; executive directors must still be veterans.
Voted against most of their party on 5 of 284 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Rights & public safety (3), Jobs & cost of living (1), Housing & rent (1)
Relating to habitual offenders, and providing penalties
What it does: Requires habitual offenders convicted of a third qualifying felony to serve at least seven years before parole, without earned-time reductions, caps their confinement at 20 years, bars deferred or suspended sentences…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 7–18, Republicans 61–0
Relating to and making appropriations for the economic development of the state, including to the economic development authority, Iowa finance authority, department of workforce development, and state board of regents and certain regents institutions, and codifying the housing renewal program
What it does: Appropriates FY 2026-27 money to the Economic Development Authority, Finance Authority, Workforce Development, and regents universities, and codifies the housing renewal program, with repayments retained by the nonpro…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 26–1, Republicans 0–61
Relating to habitual offenders, and providing penalties
What it does: On the version voted May 2, 2026: Requires habitual offenders convicted of a third qualifying felony to serve at least seven years before parole, without earned-time reductions, caps their confinement at 20 years, bar…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 7–20, Republicans 61–3
Relating to elections to fill vacancies in elective county and city offices
What it does: As introduced, lets voters force a special election for an appointed county or city office vacancy only if at least six months remain in the term, and puts an office on the next general election ballot when an officer…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 14–15, Republicans 59–1
Relating to the exercise of eminent domain for carbon oxide pipelines, and including applicability and effective date provisions
What it does: Bars anyone from using eminent domain to acquire land for, build or operate a pipeline primarily for carrying carbon dioxide or other carbon oxides, effective immediately for condemnation cases filed on or after that…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 10–20, Republicans 54–8
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
HF 2801 · IA HOUSE
Modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and including effective date provisions
NoVOTED
Motion: Shall the bill pass?
Lets the state award one business a tax credit of up to 10% of its investment, paid over ten years, for a major project in a county of 50,000 people or fewer, instead of up to 5% credits for two businesses; credits are refundable and transferable.
Relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, by modifying property assessment provisions, divisions of revenue, and funding from the secure an advanced vision for education fund, establishing a program for first-time homebuyers, modifying and making appropriations, and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions
NoVOTED
Motion: Shall the bill pass?
On the version voted May 3, 2026: Replaces most homeowners' homestead property tax credit with an exemption of 10% of taxable value, from $5,500 to $20,000, starting in 2026, limits county and city general levies and other rate-limited levies to 2% yearly growth, and creates FirstHome Iowa savings accounts.
Relating to state and local government and finances, including by making, modifying, limiting, or reducing appropriations, distributions, or transfers, authorizing expenditure of unappropriated moneys in special funds, making corrections, and providing for properly related matters including the national electrical code, local civil rights laws, political party state central committees, noxious weeds, nonresident deer hunting licenses, proprietary treatment systems, poultry associations, tax c...
NoVOTED
Motion: Shall the bill pass?
On the version voted May 3, 2026: Makes wide-ranging changes to state law and budgets, including corrections to 2026 acts, limits on standing appropriations, an insurer tax credit for health care access, a civil litigation abuse lawsuit, required American history and government courses at state universities, and judicial salary changes.
Relating to state government and finances, including by making corrections, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions
YesVOTED
Motion: Shall amendment H–8494, to amendment H–8491, be adopted?
Amends the bill to remove its division that changes the 2023 National Electrical Code for Iowa homes (such as dropping arc-fault interrupter requirements) and bars local electrical codes stricter than the national code. (AI-written)
On the version voted May 3, 2026: Makes wide-ranging changes to state law and budgets, including corrections to 2026 acts, limits on standing appropriations, an insurer tax credit for health care access, a civil litigation abuse lawsuit, required American history and government courses at state universities, and judicial salary changes.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to requirements for certain state tax law changes
YesVOTED
Motion: Shall amendment H–8490 be adopted?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to requirements for certain state tax law changes
YesVOTED
Motion: Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H–8488?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to requirements for certain state tax law changes
YesVOTED
Motion: Shall amendment H–8487 be adopted?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to requirements for certain state tax law changes
YesVOTED
Motion: Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H–8486?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to requirements for certain state tax law changes
YesVOTED
Motion: Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H–8485?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to requirements for certain state tax law changes
YesVOTED
Motion: Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H–8484?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.