A Republican ad featuring a Dallas Center-Iowa City Council member has become the latest flashpoint in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District race, pitting two-term GOP Rep. Zach Nunn against Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott.
Cook Political Report rates the district “lean D,” with House Editor Erin Covey writing that Nunn is “one of his party’s stronger incumbents” but could still be vulnerable given national headwinds facing Republicans and the strength of Democrats at the top of the ticket, according to a Des Moines Register recap of the paywalled analysis.
Much of the campaign’s recent friction has centered on Trone Garriott’s votes on transgender athletes in girls’ sports, which Nunn has highlighted in ads and which came up at a debate this week. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a PAC backing Nunn, ran a 30-second ad in which several residents described Trone Garriott’s position as “dangerous” for kids in the district. The ad ends with Dallas Center-Iowa City Council member Shellie Flockhart saying, “Sarah Trone Garriott is just plain dangerous.”
Flockhart, 55, pleaded guilty to child endangerment and driving under the influence after authorities said she drove drunk with two of her children in the car in 2017. She provided a one-page statement to The Washington Post with conditions on its use that the paper said would violate its editorial standards. In podcast interviews last year, Flockhart had already spoken about her history with drugs and alcohol, saying she went to rehab, found religious faith, and has since counseled others with similar struggles.
Trone Garriott and DCCC Respond
After the Post’s report, Trone Garriott posted on social media: “Paid actors, corrupt politicians, and now this. This is who Zach Nunn has speaking for him in his ads.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee amplified the criticism as other outlets and commentators joined in. Neither Trone Garriott nor the DCCC has responded publicly to the substance of the claims made in the CLF ad itself.
Flockhart Pushes Back
Flockhart has not withdrawn her remarks. In a piece published by The Daily Wire, she wrote:
“Nearly a decade ago, I was charged with driving while intoxicated with my kids in the car. It was serious. It was wrong. I took full responsibility, entered recovery, and by the grace of God, have been continuously sober ever since. This is not a secret that I’ve kept close to the chest. In fact, I have spoken about this openly for years.”
“For a moment I considered backing down. Then I remembered what that would actually mean. It would make the cruel ones louder. It would tell every person clawing their way back from a dark place that they will never be ‘good enough.’ It would teach my own kids the wrong lesson.”
“Sarah Trone Garriott claims to be a minister who cares about people. Her campaign treated a woman, a mother, who is nearly a decade into recovery, as a disposable distraction.”
“They want us to believe that one past mistake erases every step anyone in recovery has taken since. I refuse. I will keep speaking the truth. I will keep letting God lead. And I will vote for candidates who respond with character instead of cruelty.”
On social media, Flockhart also wrote directly to Trone Garriott’s campaign account: “A pastor’s job is grace and healing—not weaponizing a 10-year-old OWI against someone with a decade of sobriety. That’s not accountability. That’s spiritual abuse.”
In a follow-up post, she added: “If you’ve ever made a grave mistake, don’t let Sarah Trone Garriott tell you America doesn’t offer second chances. Her decision to attack me—and by extension the entire recovery community—is deeply disappointing. I appeared in that commercial unpaid and willingly. I’m not a candidate. I’m a mom, mentor, and advocate who has been transparent about my past. I only speak to what is documented and on the record. Iowans aren’t dumb. We check the Iowa Legislature site. Votes go through committees, subcommittees, the House, and the Senate. Sarah Trone Garriott’s votes are public. She voted against protecting girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. She voted against keeping biological males out of girls’ sports. She tried to make me the distraction. Guess what, Sarah—I’m not on the ballot. You are!”
In another post responding to critics, she wrote: “They are corrupt and do not allow free speech unless you agree with them.”
Nunn Weighs In
Nunn also addressed the controversy on social media, saying he had not expected to explain the concepts of the Bible and redemption to a pastor. He wrote: “I needed to address this. For anyone struggling with addiction, you are not alone,” linking to an addiction resource.
The 3rd District race remains one of the more closely watched House contests heading into the midterms, with both campaigns continuing to spar over Flockhart’s past, Trone Garriott’s legislative record, and the ad that started the exchange.
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