District: IA-03
Cook Political Ranking: Toss Up
Performance Voter Index: R+2
Sarah Trone Garriott is a minister, a mom, a nonprofit leader, and a State Senator running to flip Iowa’s 3rd congressional district. Trone Garriott has served as the Senator for Iowa’s 14th district since 2022. She was first elected to the Senate in the 22nd district in 2020 after defeating her Republican opponent by 0.3 votes (164 votes ).In 2022, Trone Garriott decided to run in the 14th district to unseat Republican Senate President Jake Chapman. She defeated Chapman by nearly 3 points (873 votes). She is the only Democrat in Iowa to flip two different districts from red to blue. Trone Garriott began her career as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer supporting survivors of domestic violence, then studied at Harvard Divinity School while working in a women’s shelter and youth nonprofit. Her work as a hospital chaplain led her to become an ordained Lutheran pastor, serving congregations in Virginia and later at Faith Lutheran Church in Clive, Iowa. She expanded her impact as Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement for the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network, leading efforts to combat food insecurity and build partnerships across faith communities. Trone Garriott is running for the U.S. House in Iowa because “many Iowa families feel like the middle class is slipping away, and Washington insiders like Zach Nunn keep making life more expensive while protecting special interests.”

Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District is based in the southwestern quadrant of the state, and includes the metropolitan city of Des Moines, but it is largely known as a farming district.
Ahead of the 2022 race, this district barely changed during redistricting. GOP Rep. Zach Nunn currently serves IA-03. Rep. Nunn won reelection by 4 points in 2024. In 2024, the race for IA-03 saw nearly $15 million in outside spending, with Democratic candidate Lanon Baccam raising $5.5 million and Rep. Nunn raising $5.7 million. This cycle, Trone Garriott is challenging incumbent Rep. Nunn, and the DCCC has included Trone Garriott in their coveted Red to Blue program. Trone Garriott secured the Democratic nomination for this seat in the June 2 primary.