State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriot, D-West Des Moines, is the first candidate to jump into the 3rd Congressional District seat race. She announced her candidacy Monday morning.
The 3rd District has been categorized as one of most competitive districts in the country, and the race could help determine which party holds power in the U.S. House.
Currently, the 2026 3rd District race is categorized as “lean Republican” by the Cook Political Report. Republican Zach Nunn currently holds the seat, which he won for a second term in 2024 by nearly 16,000 votes over Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam.
Trone Garriott, a ordained Lutheran minister and nonprofit leader, was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2020, flipping the formerly red 22nd district. After redistricting in 2022, she won the 14th district, unseating then-Senate president Jake Chapman.
Trone Garriot said her track record defeating three Republican opponents makes her a strong candidate for the competitive 3rd District.
“What sets me apart as a candidate is that I just work harder than anybody,” she said. “ I get out there, I show up in all these different communities with all these different folks. I don't count anyone out, anyone for granted, and I make it a priority to make sure I'm talking with and connecting with folks all across the political spectrum. As a minister, that's been my life.”
After being re-elected in 2024, Trone Garriot said she felt like she could have a bigger impact running for congress, where Republicans hold a slim majority.
“Everyone kept saying ‘Aren't you glad that you've got a four year term?’” she said. “I looked at what was happening nationwide, I was looking at what was happening in Iowa, and felt like, ‘No, I can do more. I have more to offer to this moment.’ “
Trone Garriot previously served as a hospital chaplain and parish pastor. She currently works for the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network. She lives in West Des Moines with her husband and two sons.
She said her top policy priorities are lowering costs for Iowans and protecting Social Security and Medicaid. In a press release from her campaign, Trone Garriot also said she will “keep the government out of women’s personal healthcare decisions.”
“People are having a hard time making ends meet, covering some of those basic necessities, and the chaos at the federal level is just making it so much worse,” Trone Garriot said. “We need somebody in Washington who's going to go and stand up and say, ‘ This is what the people of Iowa need. These are the policies that will help them.’ “
Trone Garriot criticized current 3rd District Rep. Zach Nunn for not holding public town halls since being elected into office.
“I'm a parent, I'm a pastor, I'm a public servant, and I see work that needs to be done – that's how I'm different than Zach Nunn,” she said. For me, it's about making sure that we're doing good for as many people as possible.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee responded to the state senator’s campaign announcement in a statement Monday morning.
"Out of touch Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott is another activist attempting to radicalize Iowa - pushing a dangerous, extreme agenda that would raise costs, allow men in girls' sports, and weaken public safety. Iowans want leaders who deliver commonsense results, and that’s exactly why they'll send Zach Nunn back to Congress."
Nunn has not officially announced his campaign for a third term in 2026, but is expected to run.
In a recent interview with WHO Radio, Zach Nunn announced he will not run for governor and would instead stay in Washington to work on border security, energy independence and federal tax cuts.
House minority leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, and Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines have also confirmed they are considering running for the 3rd District Congressional seat, as first reported by Gray Media.
