Aime Wichtendahl

Aime Wichtendahl is a Democratic state representative for Iowa House District 80 . She is the first transgender woman elected to public office in Iowa and the first transgender person in the Iowa General Assembly, elected in 2024.

Born in 1979 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and raised in Newhall, Iowa, Wichtendahl graduated from La Salle High School in 1998. She began her transition at age 25 and moved to Hiawatha in 2007, where she resides with her son. A freelance writer, consultant with U.S. Cellular, business care advocate, and author of the novel The Butterfly and the Flame , she advocates for transgender and LGBTQIA+ rights, green energy, and small businesses. She serves on the House Ways & Means, Judiciary, Veterans, and Local Government Committees, and is ranking member of the Technology, Workforce, and Economic Development Committee.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Attended Kirkwood Community College; earned B.A. in journalism and political science from Mount Mercy University in 2005.
• Political Experience: Elected to Hiawatha City Council in 2015 , re-elected in 2019 and 2023, serving until 2025. Elected to Iowa House District 80 on November 5, 2024, for the term 2025-2027.