Sarah Trone Garriott Ousts Zach Nunn in Iowa's 3rd District

DES MOINES, Iowa (Orbit Post) Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott defeated Republican Rep. Zach Nunn on Tuesday in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, flipping a seat Nunn had held for two terms. NBC News and Decision Desk HQ called the race for Trone Garriott at 10:40 p.m., according to the Des Moines Register.

With an estimated 99 percent of the vote in, Trone Garriott had 54 percent to Nunn's 46 percent, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State's office cited by the Register. The Associated Press also called the race. In the AP snapshot read on election night, Trone Garriott had 178,641 votes to Nunn's 150,931, with 85.79 percent of precincts reporting and an estimated 93.72 percent of the vote counted. The Washington Examiner reported that the AP call came at 12:03 a.m., with Trone Garriott leading 54.6 percent to 45.4 percent. KCAU 9 News reported the AP projection at 11:12 p.m. CST, and the Wall Street Journal reported that Nunn lost his reelection bid to Trone Garriott, citing the Associated Press.

Nunn concedes

Nunn conceded at the Iowa GOP watch party. He congratulated Trone Garriott on her victory and wished her success in Congress. "We know that the road ahead will be a challenge, but we recognize this: We have an opportunity," Nunn said. "Iowa was a standout tonight, and while we didn't make it across the finish line, we will continue to be on the front line of making sure America continues to be great."

At the Democratic watch party, Trone Garriott stood beside her husband Will and their two sons and told supporters: "we are bringing change for everyone."

The winner and the incumbent

Trone Garriott is a Democratic state senator, first elected in 2020. She is an ordained Lutheran minister and a former hospital chaplain and food pantry worker. She has won three competitive Iowa Senate races in the Des Moines metro, including ousting Republican Senate President Jake Chapman in 2022. Her campaign focused on lowering costs.

Nunn, an Ankeny Republican and a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, was first elected to Congress in 2022 and held the seat for two terms.

The district and the money

The 3rd District covers 21 counties in central and southern Iowa, including Des Moines, West Des Moines, Winterset, Osceola and Ottumwa.

Money poured into the race. Trone Garriott outraised Nunn, bringing in more than 8 million dollars and spending 6.9 million dollars as of late October. Nunn raised more than 6.2 million dollars and spent nearly 6 million dollars. Outside spending on the race totaled about 25.6 million dollars as of November 3, according to OpenSecrets figures cited by the Register.