Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam faces Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn. The live debate will air at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday Oct. 8.
Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam faces off against Republican incumbent Zach Nunn in a televised debate tonight.
Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam faces Republican US Rep. Zach Nunn. The live debate will air at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District stretches across 21 counties in the southwestern and south-central parts of the state. It includes Des Moines, West Des Moines, Osceola, Winterset, Adel, Ottumwa and Red Oak.
Iowa congressional districts as of 2023. (Ballotpedia/Canva)
Who are the candidates?
Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam of Des Moines is an Iowa National Guard veteran and the son of Tai Dam refugees brought to the Hawkeye State by then-Gov. Bob Ray. He has worked for Tom Vilsack in the governor’s office and when Vilsack served as US Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Incumbent Zach Nunn of Bondurant was in the Iowa Legislature from 2014 until 2022, when voters elected him over Democrat Cindy Axne to the US House of Representatives. He is also a veteran in the US Air Force Reserve.
Nunn’s record on abortion
In his bid for reelection, Nunn has taken heat over his past stances on abortion.
“Let me be clear on where I’ve always stood: I’m pro-life, voted for exceptions, and fought for access to contraceptives and IVF,” Nunn told the The Des Moines Register. However, his record is far from clear.
As an Iowa representative in 2018, he supported a near-total abortion ban. As written, the bill would have banned abortion as early as six weeks—which will sound familiar. This “nearly identical” bill was eventually passed by the Iowa Legislature and is now in effect. Nunn left the chamber before the bill passed.
In a May 2022 WHO 13 debate, Nunn was asked whether he thought “all abortions should be illegal in this country.” He raised his hand. When asked, “All abortions, no exceptions?” Nunn kept his hand up. Nunn has since retreated from this no-exception position, which is consistently extremely unpopular, according to available polling of Iowans.
“While Zach Nunn has spent years fighting to restrict access to abortion, including supporting an abortion ban with no exceptions, Lanon Baccam has dedicated his life to defending our rights and bringing people together,” Baccam’s campaign manager Michael Donaher told Iowa Starting Line.
The race is considered a “toss up” by political analysts.
How to watch?
The live debate will air at 7 p.m. central time on Tuesday, Oct. 8. You can tune in to KCCI’s broadcast at KCCI.com and on the app.
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Iowans and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at Iowa Starting Line has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Iowan families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
Christina Bohannan calls for recount of ‘razor-thin’ Iowa congressional race
Democrat Christina Bohannan is calling for a recount of all 20 counties in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District. There is an 800-vote margin that...
Election fatigue? Here’s how to recharge your mental health
We all have our personal struggles in life, from work stress to relationship drama, but something about the 2024 election season simply felt...
Three key takeaways from the Miller-Meeks-Bohannan results
As we take stock of what happened in 2024 and prepare for the road ahead, the results in the 1st Congressional District show some interesting...
Harris says nation must accept election results while urging supporters to keep fighting
Harris delivered her remarks at Howard University, her alma mater and one of the country's most prominent historically Black schools, in the same...
Aime Wichtendahl makes history again, first trans woman elected to Iowa House
Iowa's first-elected transgender woman, Aime Wichtendahl, made history a second time when she won a seat in the Iowa Legislature. Wichtendahl, a...
We care for us: Iowa places to support as another Trump presidency looms
We care for us: That's the message we want Iowans to carry with them in the immediate aftermath of the election, instead of despair. Starting Line...
