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U.S. House — Iowa 3rd District

Zach Nunn (R) faces Sarah Trone Garriott (D) in a toss-up race covering the Des Moines metro.

About the Office

A U.S. Representative serves a two-year term in the U.S. House, representing approximately 770,000 Iowans in their district. The House has 435 voting members, who write and pass federal legislation, control federal spending and taxes, conduct oversight of federal agencies, and have sole authority to initiate impeachment proceedings.

Your House member is your direct voice in federal lawmaking, casts one of 435 votes on every federal law, and handles constituent casework with federal agencies like Social Security, Medicare, the VA, and immigration services.

The District

Iowa 3rd Congressional District (Central & Southwest Iowa)

Covers 21 counties anchored by the Des Moines metro and extending south to the Missouri border. Cook PVI: R+3. Rated a toss-up; a top Democratic target for 2026.

Race at a Glance

Incumbent
Nunn (R)
2024 Margin
~2% Nunn
Election Day
Nov 3, 2026

Nunn flipped this seat in 2022 by 2,153 votes against incumbent Cindy Axne, then expanded his margin in 2024. The DCCC has named this a top "District in Play." Trone Garriott has flipped two Republican-held Iowa Senate seats.

The Candidates

Each candidate's positions are drawn from primary sources: campaign communications, voting records, debates, and direct interviews.

Zach Nunn

Zach Nunn (R)

Republican incumbent · U.S. Representative since 2023 · Air Force Reserve Colonel

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Bio

Born 1979 in Story City, Iowa. Lives in Bondurant. Drake University B.A.; Air Command and Staff College M.S.; Cambridge University M.St. Married to Kelly Nunn; six children including two adopted foster sisters.

Career

Nearly two decades in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve, currently a Colonel. Three combat deployments. Former Director of Cybersecurity at the White House National Security Council. Iowa House 2015-2019; Iowa Senate 2019-2023; U.S. House since 2023.

Primary Issues
Strong Economy & Tax Cuts

Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill and frames it as inflation relief. Supports extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanently. Has named "federal tax cuts" as one of his three core focus areas.

Border Security & "Back the Blue"

Frames border security as combating fentanyl, human trafficking, and illegal drugs. Nunn consistently supports ICE, Border Patrol, and local law enforcement funding.

Agriculture, Ethanol & Energy Independence

Nunn is a current House Agriculture Committee member. voted for the 2026 Farm, Food, and National Security Act and calls himself a "tireless advocate" for renewable fuels and biofuels.

Supporting Iowa Families

Nunn has led on expanded parental leave for military families, simplified adoption, and expanded childcare access.

Financial Fraud & Consumer Protection

Nunn has a unique legislative niche on the House Financial Services Committee. He has led the GUARD Act on financial scam reporting, plus anti-robocall and AI-spam enforcement provisions in the FY26 funding bill.

Position on Trone Garriott's Priority Issues
Healthcare

Nunn voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Medicaid changes and has publicly defended them as targeting waste/fraud, calling clinic-closure attribution to the bill a "myth".

Reproductive Rights

Nunn's campaign issues page lists "Right to Life" as a stated priority and describes himself as "a recognized pro-life leader."

Public Education

Nunn supports federal school choice expansion and announced a $2M federal investment in DMACC workforce training, framing it as career-pathway investment rather than K-12 funding.

Endorsements
  • President Donald Trump
  • Vice President JD Vance
  • AIPAC
  • Republican Jewish Coalition
  • Turning Point Action
Donor Information
  • Total individual contributions: 6,168
  • In-state: 278 (4.5%) Out-of-state: 5,890 (95.5%)
  • Small-dollar donors ($100 or less): By count: 4,830 of 6,168 (78.3%) By dollar volume: $51,265 of $3,980,177 (1.3%)
1. Grow the Majority — Alexandria, VA — $689,762
Joint fundraising committee that raises and distributes money across multiple Republican House candidates.
2. Team Nunn — Des Moines, IA — $425,000
Nunn's own leadership PAC/joint fundraising committee.
3. Defend Our Majority — Washington, DC — $300,444
Joint fundraising committee benefiting multiple Republican House incumbents.
4. Emmer Majority Builders — Athens, GA — $256,551
Leadership PAC affiliated with House Majority Leader Tom Emmer, benefiting multiple Republican House candidates.
5. American Battleground Fund — Bethesda, MD — $17,013
Joint fundraising committee benefiting multiple Republican House candidates.

Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), Schedule A, as of July 23, 2026. fec.gov/data

Sarah Trone Garriott

Sarah Trone Garriott (D)

Democratic nominee · Iowa State Senator · ELCA Lutheran Minister

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Bio

Born 1978 in Minneapolis. Raised in Cloquet, Minnesota. Lives in West Des Moines. College of St. Scholastica B.A.; Harvard Divinity School M.T.S.; Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago M.Div. Married to William Garriott (Drake professor); two sons.

Career

Hospital chaplain at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia) and Lurie Children's Hospital (Chicago). Lutheran pastor in Bergton, Virginia, then Faith Lutheran in Clive, Iowa. Currently Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement at the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network. Iowa Senate since 2021 — flipped two Republican-held seats (2020, 2022) and won a Trump-won district in 2024.

Primary Issues
Lowering Costs for Iowa Families

Focused on reducing the cost of healthcare, prescription drugs, child care, and everyday necessities.

Affordable Healthcare

Repeatedly cites the New York Times reporting that One Big Beautiful Bill cuts caused clinic closures and layoffs at a Des Moines hospital.

Reproductive Rights

Pledges to "keep the government out of women's personal health care decisions". This has been a defining issue in her two prior state Senate flips.

Public Education

Trone Garriott supports fully funding public schools, opposes voucher expansion, and aims to expand workforce training and higher-education affordability.

Defending Democracy / Anti-Corruption

Frames her run as "getting Washington working for us — not the political insiders". She also emphasizes Nunn's lack of in-district town halls.

Position on Nunn's Priority Issues
Border Security

STG has a published platform position calling for "immigration that's smart, fair, and reflects our values". She supports stronger border enforcement plus a fair process for those already here.

Agriculture/Energy

Sarah's published platform features "Protecting Iowa's land, water, and clean energy future" as one of her four highlighted issues.

Endorsements
  • Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin
  • American Federation of Government Employees
  • End Citizens United
  • J Street
  • EMILYs List
  • House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst
  • WelcomePAC
Donor Information
  • Total individual contributions: 6,732
  • In-state: 3,903 (58.0%) Out-of-state: 2,829 (42.0%)
  • Small-dollar donors ($100 or less): By count: 3,567 of 6,732 (53.0%) By dollar volume: $176,609 of $3,223,897 (5.5%)
1. New Politics Next Mission Fund — Tempe, AZ — $35,270
Political action committee that supports veteran and public-service candidates.
2. Trone Family — Bethesda, MD, and Beverly Hills, CA — $14,000
Combined contributions from Julia, Michelle, Natalie, and Robert Trone. Robert Trone is Co-Owner and Michelle Trone is VP Merchandising at Total Wine & More; the Trone family also includes U.S. Rep. David Trone (MD).
3. Stephen English — Pasadena, CA — $10,500
Co-founder of Catalyst California, an organization advocating for racial equity.
3. Molly Munger — Pasadena, CA — $10,500
Co-founder of Catalyst California, an organization advocating for racial equity.
5. The Juno Fund — New York, NY — $10,000
Democratic organization that backs high-impact, competitive political races.
5. Carpenters Legislative Improvement Committee — Washington, DC — $10,000
Pro-union PAC.
5. Democracy Summer Leadership PAC — Washington, DC — $10,000
Democratic leadership PAC.
5. Fair Shot PAC — Washington, DC — $10,000
Democratic leadership PAC.
5. International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers PAL — Washington, DC — $10,000
Pro-union PAC.
5. Jobs, Opportunities and Education PAC — Washington, DC — $10,000
Pro-union PAC.
5. Way Back PAC — Sheridan, WY — $10,000
Democratic leadership PAC.
5. No Surrender Fund — Washington, DC — $10,000
Democratic leadership PAC.
5. The Next 50 PAC — New York, NY — $10,000
Democratic leadership PAC.

Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), Schedule A, as of July 23, 2026. fec.gov/data

Also on the Ballot

There are no independent or minor-party candidates in this race.

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