Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District stretches from the dense suburban neighborhoods of Des Moines across 21 central and southwestern counties to the Missouri border. Combining the urban core with the rural in-betweens, the district stands out as yet another unpredictable political battleground during an unusually competitive year in Iowa politics.
Together, the two candidates in the 3rd District have raised over $10.1 million, underscoring the high stakes for both national parties. Here’s what to know about the candidates:
Sarah Trone Garriott (D)
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sarah Trone Garriott earned a B.A. in history from The College of Scholastica, an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School and an M.Div from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. She began her career as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer supporting domestic violence survivors, later directing community initiatives at a women’s shelter and a youth nonprofit.
Trone Garriott entered public office in 2020 by flipping a Republican-held state senate seat. Following redistricting in 2022, she relocated to challenge Iowa’s sitting Senate President, winning by three points even as the state’s Republican governor carried the district by seven. She subsequently defended the seat in a district won by Donald Trump, earning a reputation as a proven organizer in split-ticket territory.
Trone Garriott’s platform focuses on lowering healthcare costs, protecting public education, and addressing food insecurity. As a Ranking Member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, her legislative record includes sponsoring measures to cap prescription drug prices, preserve state food bank support, and expand childcare subsidies for working parents. Her federal agenda centers on codifying reproductive freedom, lowering insulin prices, and directing federal infrastructure funds to rural southwestern Iowa communities.
Her campaign reports raising over $5.29 million, portions of which derive from labor unions, grassroots fundraising, civil rights groups, and advocacy networks. JStreetPAC and Reproductive Freedom for All lie amongst some of the contributors.
Incumbent Zach Nunn (R)
Born in Story City, Iowa, incumbent Zach Nunn graduated from Southeast Polk High School before earning B.A. degrees in political science and international relations from Drake University. He holds an M.S. in military operational art and science from the Air Command and Staff College and an M.St in international security from Cambridge University. Nunn spent two decades as an Air Force airborne intelligence officer and commander of the Iowa Air National Guard’s 233rd Intelligence Squadron. He’s logged over 700 air combat hours while completing three overseas combat deployments. Before his 2022 election to the US House, Nunn operated a small business and served four years in both the Iowa House and Senate.
Nunn’s platform emphasizes fiscal responsibility, agricultural stability, and national security. In Congress, he supported Farm Bill extensions that protect crop insurance programs for Midwestern growers and co-sponsored bipartisan bills aimed at cutting federal spending and reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses. His legislative priorities focus on expanding middle-class tax relief, and securing additional resources for border defense infrastructure and military modernization.
Nunn’s campaign committee reports raising over $4.86 million. His fundraising is anchored by individual donors, agricultural trade associations, business leadership networks, and corporate PACs representing financial services, energy, and ag-tech sectors, alongside his leadership PAC, Call to Service.
