Iowa — 3rd District

Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn and Democratic challenger Sarah Trone Garriott are competing in one of the nation's most targeted congressional races in the 2026 midterms.

Nunn, of Ankeny, and Trone Garriott, a state senator from West Des Moines, will face off 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.

The general election is Nov. 3.

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 | Iran war |

Who is Rep. Zach Nunn?

Political party: Republican Party.

Age: 47.

Town of residence: Ankeny.

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

Education: Master of studies degree in International Security (Top Honors), Cambridge University; master's degree in Strategy and Technology, Air War College; master's degree in Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College; bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations, Drake University; Southeast Polk High School.

Political experience: U.S. representative (IA-03), 2023-present; Iowa Senate, 2018-2022; Iowa House, 2014-2018; Cybersecurity Director, White House National Security Council; Counterintelligence Officer, Intelligence Community; Air Force Commander and airborne intelligence officer, five deployments after 9/11. Co-founder, Task Force Argo; Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree; VFW Altoona Post founder; American Legion, Bondurant Post.

Who is Sarah Trone Garriott?

Political party: Democratic Party.

Age: 48.

Current town of 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 Des Moines Area Religious Council 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 the largest tax cut in U.S. history — more than $3,000 for the average Iowa family, no tax on tips or overtime and expanded child and adoption tax credits. Action. I'm a top-three most bipartisan member of Congress, and I've passed 27 bills into law, including my bipartisan rural housing bill and the first congressional stock-trading ban to pass the House. After more than 500 listening sessions, I hear the same message: costs remain too high. I'm fighting to lower prescription drug prices, hold Washington accountable and put more dollars back in Iowans' pockets.

Trone Garriott (D): My top priority would be lowering costs, and that starts with health care. Iowa families are getting squeezed by higher premiums, prescription drug prices and everyday bills while Washington makes the problem worse. Zach Nunn wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, and his vote for nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts is already closing clinics and putting care at risk. I'd reverse those cuts, restore ACA subsidies to lower premiums, and protect Medicare and Medicaid.

How can Congress help Iowans struggling with high costs?

Trone Garriott (D): Congress should lower the costs families actually feel: health care, groceries, housing, childcare and utility bills. That means lowering prescription drug prices, restoring ACA subsidies, cracking down on junk fees and expanding affordable childcare. Zach Nunn talks about lowering costs, but he voted 10 times for the tariffs and health care cuts 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. 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 passed my bipartisan housing bill to help young families afford 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): America achieved the most secure border in modern history. Crossings are down significantly, and fentanyl seizures are up. Iowa communities are safer. But enforcement alone won't fix a broken immigration system. I cosponsored the bipartisan Dignity Act with 40 Republicans and Democrats to mandate E-Verify nationwide, strengthen local 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 significantly under Donald Trump, and that’s a good thing. We need a secure border, enforcement against violent criminals and traffickers, and an immigration system that follows the law. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement's actions away from the border have caused chaos and made many Iowans feel less safe. We need more immigration judges, faster visa processing for legal immigrants and a pathway to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants. Congress should pass comprehensive immigration reform so we can actually address this problem instead of always punting the political football.

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

Trone Garriott (D): Congress should lower premiums and prescription drug costs, restore ACA subsidies, protect Medicare and Medicaid and create a public option that allows people to keep their private insurance, so Iowans have more affordable choices. Zach Nunn has said he wants the ACA “gone,” and his vote for nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts is already closing rural clinics and putting care at risk in Iowa. I’d reverse those cuts and work to make health care more affordable and accessible.

Nunn (R): I grew up in Iowa where my mom was a nurse. That's why I led and helped pass $50 billion for rural health care, the largest investment in history. 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 passed legislation to lower premiums by 11% and held drug companies accountable. I'm advancing bipartisan solutions to train more nurses and primary care doctors so care is closer to home. I'll work with anyone — Republican or Democrat — to fix it, because Iowans deserve results.

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 export dumping and Canada's 200% tariff on Iowa dairy have hurt Iowa producers for years. I delivered $66 billion for the farm safety net with updated reference prices. I'm focused on getting tariffs to zero, as I did by leading a trade delegation to Taiwan that opened $450 million in new markets for Iowa. I support using Congress' constitutional trade authority to build durable policy that gives producers the stability to plan and invest.

Trone Garriott (D): President Trump’s tariffs have hurt Iowans. Tariffs are a tax, and they raise costs for families and small businesses while creating more uncertainty for farmers. Zach Nunn has supported this approach, even as it makes life harder for Iowa producers and consumers. I’d push Congress to rein in reckless across-the-board tariffs to lower costs, restore oversight of trade policy, and focus on stable export markets and real certainty for farmers.

Do you agree or disagree with the Trump administration’s approach to the Iran war? What oversight role should Congress play?

Trone Garriott (D): I disagree with it. Iran should never have a nuclear weapon, but we are six months in with no end in sight, and Iowans are paying for it. Gas is over four dollars a gallon. Fertilizer hit record highs right at planting, when our farmers had to buy it. Costs are up across the board because of this war.

The Constitution says Congress votes before this country goes to war. That didn't happen. Zach Nunn has voted five times since then to continue this war. I would vote to end it and lower costs.

Nunn (R): As a 20-year combat veteran, I share the President's objectives: Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, and Iran is no longer the No. 1 sponsor of terrorism. I'm the author of the toughest Iran sanctions package in Congress. I support the new war powers resolution, and I crossed party lines to ensure Congress is briefed on the battle plan and our troops get the supplies they need, while allowing the president to defend U.S. forces and allies against an imminent threat. Sustained combat operations require a vote and oversight, and I hold every president to that standard.