Iowa — 3rd District

An uncontested primary election will set the stage for one of the nation's most competitive congressional races in the 2026 midterms.

Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn and Democratic challenger Sarah Trone Garriott, a state senator from West Des Moines, both are unopposed for their party's nomination to represent Iowa's 3rd Congressional District.

The 3rd District encompasses 21 counties, including the cities of Des Moines, West Des Moines, Winterset and Ottumwa.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Iowa's primary election is June 2.

Click below to learn more about the candidates and where they stand on key issues:

| Bios | Top issue | Cost of living | Immigration | Health care access | Tariffs |

Who is Rep. Zach Nunn?

Political party: Republican.

Age: 47.

Residence: Ankeny.

Occupation: U.S. representative, colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Education: Bachelor's degree, political science and international relations, Drake University; Air Command and Staff College, M.S. in Military Operational Art and Science; Cambridge University, M.St. in International Security.

Political experience: U.S. representative (IA-03) from 2023-present; Iowa Senate 2018-22, Iowa House of Representatives 2014-18, Civic Activities: Task Force Argo, Co-Founder; Harkin Institute Scholarship Board; Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Altoona Post founders; American Legion, Bondurant Post.

Who is Sarah Trone Garriott?

Political party: Democrat.

Age: 47.

Residence: West Des Moines.

Occupation: Lutheran minister and Iowa state senator.

Education: Master of divinity, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Political experience: As a pastor, I served Faith Lutheran Church in Clive and worked at the DMARC food pantry network, helping feed families in our community. As a state senator, I knock on the doors of thousands of Iowans regardless of their political party and hold regular town halls because I believe government works best when I hear directly from Iowans, not party insiders or lobbyists.

What would be your top issue if elected?

Nunn (R): Affordability. I delivered more than $3,000 in tax relief for the average Iowa family — no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime and an expanded child tax credit. But Iowans across all 21 counties tell me costs are still a challenge, and they don't trust Washington to put them first. That's why I'm fighting to ban Congressional stock trading, crack down on big pharma driving up prescriptions and pass my bipartisan housing bill into law.

Trone Garriott (D): My top priority is making life more affordable for Iowans by working to lower the cost of gas, groceries, electric bills and housing. I also want to make health care affordable: Iowans are getting squeezed by high premiums and drug prices. In Washington, Zach Nunn is making life harder and more expensive for Iowans. He voted for nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, closing clinics and putting hospitals at risk; now he wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act without a plan to replace it. I’d reverse those cuts and restore the ACA tax credits to lower premiums.

How can Congress help Iowans struggling with high costs?

Trone Garriott (D): Congress should work to lower the costs families actually feel: health care, groceries, housing, childcare, gas and utility bills. That means prioritizing tax relief for working families, lowering prescription drug prices, restoring ACA tax credits, cracking down on junk fees, expanding affordable childcare, and cutting red tape to make energy and housing more affordable. Zach Nunn talks about lowering costs, but he backed the tariffs, which are a tax on Iowans, and cuts to health care funding that are making life more expensive for Iowa families.

Nunn (R): Keeping up with costs is the top concern I hear from Iowans, and it's personal. (My wife) Kelly and I are raising six kids and understand what it means to budget and save. After years of inflation squeezing families, we're moving in the right direction, but costs are still high. I'm fighting for year-round E15 to bring down gas prices with Iowa-grown fuel and working to pass my bipartisan housing bill to help young families and restore the American dream of homeownership.

How do you rate President Trump’s handling of immigration, and what should Congress’ role be in setting immigration policy?

Nunn (R): We've made real progress securing the border. Crossings are down significantly, and fentanyl seizures are up. Iowa communities are safer. But enforcement alone won't fix a broken immigration system. I'm cosponsoring the bipartisan Dignity Act with 40 Republicans and Democrats to mandate E-Verify nationwide, strengthen enforcement, and create a legal framework that works for employers, workers and communities. Congress has constitutional authority over immigration. It's time we use it to deliver a durable solution, not policies that change every four years.

Trone Garriott (D): Illegal border crossings are down under Donald Trump, and that’s a good thing. We need a secure border, enforcement against criminals and traffickers, and an immigration system that keeps us safe. However, ICE’s actions away from the border have made us less safe. Instead of playing politics, Congress needs to pass bipartisan immigration reform that ensures we can deport criminals and creates a path to earned citizenship for law-abiding immigrants who work hard and pay taxes. I will work with Democrats and Republicans to fix our broken immigration system and keep Iowa families safe.

What steps should Congress take to make health care more affordable and accessible?

Trone Garriott (D): I’ll prioritize holding insurance companies accountable to cover the medical care we pay them for and making insurance premiums more affordable. We can do that by extending the Affordable Care Act's (enhanced) premium tax credits. Instead of helping Iowans, Nunn sided with the insurance companies that are funding his campaign. He voted to cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, which is closing rural clinics, including in Ottumwa, making health care harder to access. We need to reverse those cuts to keep Iowa’s rural hospitals and clinics open so that nobody has to drive hours to receive health care.

Nunn (R): When health coverage for 130,000 Iowans was on the line, I stood up to the political elites — because doing what's right comes before politics. I delivered $209 million in health care funding, passed legislation to lower premiums by 11% and held drug middlemen accountable. I'm advancing bipartisan solutions to train more doctors and nurses so care is closer to home. Health care costs are still too high, and options are too limited. I'll work with anyone to fix it — because lowans deserve results, not politics.

Have President Trump’s tariffs helped or hurt Iowans? What changes would you push for in Congress to shape the White House tariff and agriculture policy?

Nunn (R): Iowa's farmers and manufacturers depend on global markets, and they need certainty. I support confronting unfair trade practices. China's subsidies and Canada's 200% tariff on Iowa dairy have hurt Iowa producers for years. I've pushed the administration to open new markets for Iowa ag and delivered $66 billion for the farm safety net with updated reference prices and expanded market access. Going forward, I support using Congress's constitutional trade authority to build durable policy that gives producers the stability to plan and invest in the future.

Trone Garriott (D): The reckless tariffs have hurt Iowans. Tariffs are a tax paid by Iowans, raising the cost of everyday goods for families while creating uncertainty for farmers by closing markets and increasing the cost of inputs like equipment and fertilizer. Zach Nunn has supported this approach, even as it makes life harder for Iowa farmers and families. I’d push Congress to rein in reckless across-the-board tariffs to lower costs for families and provide a stable export market for farmers. I’ll work to pass a new Farm Bill and year-round E15 to bring stability to Iowa’s family farmers.

Read more about the midterm candidates at: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/news/elections/.