Sarah Trone Garriott Wins Iowa 3rd Congressional District Over Zach Nunn

Iowa’s 3rd District Returns to Democratic Hands as Sarah Trone Garriott Unseats Zach Nunn

Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District will send a Democrat to Washington for the first time since 2022, flipping the seat back to the party that held it for years before Zach Nunn’s 2022 victory, and returning the state’s most populous city to Democratic representation in the U.S. House. State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott defeated the Republican incumbent Tuesday night, pulling in 54% of the vote to Nunn’s 46% with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported.

The contest pitted a pastor and four-year state senator against a combat veteran and sitting congressman in a district that has swung between parties over the past decade. Trone Garriott, who joined supporters at a watch party in Des Moines, framed her victory as a mandate for change on economic issues. “We are bringing change for everyone,” she said. “To restore healthcare, to lower costs, to stop these tariffs, to end this war.”

Des Moines and the Suburbs Carry the Day

While Nunn remained more popular among voters in the rural counties of the district, he could not overcome Trone Garriott’s margins in Dallas and Polk counties, which account for the greatest share of the vote and include Des Moines. Wednesday results from the secretary of state confirmed that urban and suburban turnout proved decisive, a pattern that has defined competitive Iowa races in recent cycles.

As a hospital chaplain, a parish pastor, a food pantry coordinator, and a State Senator, I’ve brought people together to help our neighbors. That's why I know we can flip this seat and lower costs, take on Washington corruption, and make health care affordable for Iowa families. pic.twitter.com/JmFfCxxtrx

— https://x.com/SarahforIowa/status/2061989294042919125

Nunn, speaking at the Iowa GOP watch party in Des Moines, acknowledged the outcome while defending his record. “There are certain things I’m going to miss about fighting for Iowa, but I’m not going to miss being gone three or four times a week,” he said, looking to his family on stage. The congressman, who continues to serve as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, said he called Trone Garriott to congratulate her on the win.

A Seat That Has Changed Hands Before

This is not the first time the district has flipped. Nunn himself won the seat in 2022 by defeating Democratic incumbent Cindy Axne, ending two years of Democratic control. Trone Garriott’s victory restores the district to the party that held it before that 2022 wave, completing a four-year round trip that underscores the district’s status as one of Iowa’s most competitive battlegrounds.

Sarah Trone Garriott gives acceptance speech after winning Iowa's 3rd Congressional District race

Trone Garriott, who has served in the Iowa Senate since 2020, campaigned on specific economic interventions. She has said her priorities include lowering healthcare costs for Iowans by undoing portions of the Republican-led “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act and working to restore expired tax subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. She also thanked Nunn for his service to the country and the state, telling supporters that while “significant” challenges lie ahead, “the hope we have is stronger; the love we have for our neighbors is so much more powerful.”

What Comes Next for the District

For residents of central Iowa, the change means new representation on issues ranging from agricultural tariffs to prescription drug costs. Trone Garriott told the Des Moines crowd that Iowans have “so much common ground” and that she plans to “build on that common ground for a strong future.” She emphasized accountability, saying her campaign was about taking on “the corruption that is at the heart of the problem costing us so much, and make Washington accountable to the people.”

Sarah Trone Garriott Wins Iowa 3rd Congressional District Over Zach Nunn — Photo: qctimes.com

Nunn, for his part, highlighted legislation he advanced for military families and housing access, along with infrastructure funding for rural water systems, streets and bridges. “Across the board, we have helped deliver for our community, for our families, and most importantly, for our country,” he said. “And I challenge anybody else who takes this seat to do just as good, and hopefully better – but I’m proud of the very high bar we set.”

The result leaves Iowa’s congressional delegation with a 3-1 Republican advantage, but the 3rd District remains the state’s most closely watched swing seat, where the next election cycle will likely begin almost immediately.