The next installment of my “Meet the Legislature” series introduces everyone to Representative Andrew Wenthe. Andrew is another member of our outstanding class of legislators under 30 years of age.
Andrew has been tapped by the Des Moines Register to blog about his experiences at the Capitol during the session. You can find his blog here.
Andrew’s first blog talked about his first days serving his district:
As I was sworn in with my colleagues on Monday morning, I reflected back on all of the hard work and effort that made the moment possible. I knocked over 8700 doors across my district, and my team of supporters volunteered hundreds of their valuable hours toward making my campaign successful. Many of these volunteers were present at my swearing in ceremony, and that made the moment extra special.
Raised on a family farm two miles west of Hawkeye, Andrew Wenthe is a sixth-generation northeast Iowan. Andrew’s great-great-great grandmother, Sophia, moved with two of her sons to Bremer County from Chicago, Illinois in the late 1860s. Generations of Wenthes have remained to work the fertile farmland and enjoy the benefits of rural living. Representative Wenthe represents House District 18.
Andrew was born in West Union. Andrew’s father, Wayne, began operating the family farm after taking over from his father in 1974- and continues to do so today. Andrew’s mother, Mary, was a homemaker who operated the Sunny Days Preschool until her death in 1993. Andrew and his brothers have since welcomed a stepmother, Cheryl, to the family. Cheryl works as a personal banking officer at First National Bank in Oelwein.
This is from Representative Wenthe’s “official” biography:
Following graduation, Andrew moved to Washington, D.C. to work on Senator Chuck Grassley’s legislative staff. Although a proudly registered Democrat, Andrew enjoyed his two years working for Senator Grassley in Washington, where he learned first-hand the importance of representative democracy. His experience in the U.S. Senate taught him how to successfully navigate government bureaucracy, and strengthened his appreciation for the resolve displayed by Iowans facing long odds and adversity.
Luckily, Representative Wenthe returned to the Democratic fold:
It was in this spirit that Andrew returned to northeast Iowa to work on the John Edwards for President campaign. Happy to be home again, he savored the opportunity to talk with Iowans about the challenges they faced and also to share ideas about changing the direction of the country.
Representative Wenthe was a co-sponsor of HF 1 which increased the minimum wage in Iowa to $7.25/hour.
He’s also shown a strong committment to Iowa’s veterans by sponsoring legislation to create suicide prevention programs for veterans.