Peggy Huppert is a retired nonprofit executive who has been active in Democratic politics as a volunteer for campaigns ranging from school board to President since 1984.
As Democrats in Iowa’s third Congressional district, we all share the same goal in 2026: defeating U.S. Representative Zach Nunn and flipping this seat so we can put a real check on the chaos in Washington. That’s why the independent Change Research poll, conducted in late October, should be a wake-up call and a roadmap.
That poll found State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott leads Zach Nunn 53 percent to 40 percent in a general election matchup. That’s not a moral victory or a tie. That’s a clear, solid lead against an incumbent in one of the most competitive districts in the country.
Even more important is who the poll finds is putting Sarah ahead.
According to the memo from Change Research, Sarah leads Nunn by 47 percent to 19 percent among the most persuadable voters in the district. Another Democratic candidate, State Representative Jennifer Konfrst, leads Nunn by 38 percent to 26 percent among the same group. When it comes to the swing voters who will actually decide this race, Sarah isn’t just competitive, she’s far stronger.
The story is similar in rural parts of the district. We all know that Democrats have been losing ground in small towns and rural communities for years. This poll shows Sarah performing significantly better with rural voters than other Democrats, closing the gap in exactly the places where we have to do better if we’re going to win statewide and take back this seat. If Democrats are serious about rebuilding our coalition beyond Polk County, we should pay attention to which candidate is actually connecting with those voters. That’s Sarah.
These numbers don’t come out of nowhere. They confirm what Sarah’s record has already proven.
Sarah is the only Democrat in Iowa to flip two Republican-held state senate seats from red to blue. She won an open seat in 2020, then beat sitting Senate President Jake Chapman in 2022 in a district Kim Reynolds carried by seven points. Last year, she was the only Democrat to hold an Iowa senate district that also voted for Donald Trump. She doesn’t just talk about winning in tough places; she’s done it.
That track record matters in IA-03 because this district is not a deep blue one. It’s a true toss-up. To win here, Democrats need a candidate who can hold and grow support in Polk County, win in the politically mixed suburbs like West Des Moines and Waukee, and close the gap in rural counties. Sarah has already done that in her own district, and polling shows she’s capable of doing it in IA-03.
The poll also matches what the campaign is seeing on the ground in terms of organization and resources. She’s built a grassroots base of thousands of small donors and more than 350 public community endorsers across the district. And since we know that elections cost money, Sarah’s the only candidate in the primary raising the resources Democrats will need to flip this district.
Here are some numbers: Sarah had raised nearly a million dollars—$958,484 to be exact—from more than 3,000 Iowa donors as of the last reporting period, ending September 30. During the third quarter, her campaign spent $360,272, leaving $595,211 cash on hand. In contrast, Konfrst’s campaign raised $426,602 and spent $231,269 during the same period, leaving $195,333 cash on hand. That is a significant difference by any measure.
And since the general election opponent will be Nunn, we need to look at his numbers as well. From January 1-September 30 of this year Nunn raised $2,079,500 and spent $521,924, with a whopping $1,6210,410 cash on hand. Nunn has the benefit of incumbency and an almost unlimited ability to raise money from wealthy Republican donors across the country. The kind of early strength that Sarah has demonstrated is what it will take to withstand the millions of dollars national Republicans will spend protecting Nunn.
Just as important as the numbers is why people respond to Sarah.
She put herself through college working at Walmart and cleaning hotel rooms. She’s a Lutheran minister and a nonprofit leader who spends her days working with Iowa’s largest food pantry network. As a state senator, she’s been a consistent voice for making government and elected officials accountable—she’s the only candidate in the race who introduced legislation for term limits and a ban on insider trading by politicians.
That gives Sarah credibility with the voters we need most: people who are fed up with politics-as-usual but still want the government to work for them. It’s why she wins in swing districts, and it’s why she’s leading Nunn today.
Democrats are lucky to have more than one candidate in this primary who care deeply about our state. It demonstrates both the optimism we feel about flipping the seat and the passion for providing a check and balance on the excesses of the current administration and compliant Congress.
But we’ve seen firsthand what happens in Iowa when Democrats lose. This moment requires a nominee who has already proven they can win tough races, reach persuadable and rural voters, raise the resources to compete, and offer a clear, better alternative to Nunn.
If we’re serious about flipping IA-03 and taking back the U.S. House, Democrats should rally behind the candidate who gives us the best chance to win. In this race, that candidate is Sarah Trone Garriott.
Top photo of Sarah Trone Garriott canvassing in July 2025 was originally published on her Facebook page.