DES MOINES, Iowa — State Senator Sarah Trone Garriot has announced she is running for U.S. Congress.

The Democrat from West Des Moines reavealed Monday morning she is running for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. If she earns the party’s nomination, she’ll likely face incumbent Republican Congressman Zach Nunn in the 2026 election.

Trone Garriott was first elected to the Iowa Senate in November 2020, serving a term for the 22nd District. Because of redistricting, she and her family moved to the 14th District in 2022, and her bid was successful to oust then-Senate President Jake Chapman.

In her announcement video, Trone Garriott said, “I’m the only Iowa Democrat who flipped two seats from red to blue then won a district that went to Trump in 2024. I know how to win and I know how to deliver for Iowans.”

She also took aim at her presumptive opponent, Rep. Zach Nunn. “Zach Nunn has failed us as Iowa struggles with higher costs, attacks on our personal freedoms, and reckless cuts to our public schools. Zach Nunn is not showing up, he’s not listening, and he’s not working for us.”

Trone Garriott is the coordinator of interfaith engagement at the Des Moines Area Religious Council. She’s been with the organization since 2017. She’s also an ordained pastor through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Trone Garriott is the mother of two sons, who attend public school in West Des Moines. She is married to William Garriott, a law professor at Drake University.

The National Republican Congressional Committee issued a statement on Trone Garriott’s decision to run:

“Out of touch Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott is another activist attempting to radicalize Iowa – pushing a dangerous, extreme agenda that would raise costs, allow men in girls’ sports, and weaken public safety. Iowans want leaders who deliver commonsense results, and that’s exactly why they’ll send Zach Nunn back to Congress.”

NRCC Spokeswoman Emily Tuttle