Xavier Carrigan is a Democratic candidate in Iowa’s third Congressional district.

Picture a hostage tied to the tracks. The train is coming. The kidnappers demand a ransom, and the so-called heroes in Washington hand them the keys to the vault.

That’s what happened this fall. After 43 days of a federal government shutdown, Congress reopened the government but left millions of working Americans still bound to the rails. The funding bill keeps programs like SNAP food assistance running, restores federal pay, and prevents layoffs. Those things matter. But what didn’t make it into the deal will hurt far longer than any shutdown: the failure to extend the enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act.

Jazlin Coley is a Drake University graduate, educator, and community activator who now serves as Director of the Crew Scholars Program at her alma mater. She is committed to redefining what belonging looks like in higher education and embedding identity, equity, and care into its core. Currently pursuing her PhD in Education, Jazlin’s research and practice focus on harm in belonging practices, institutional accountability, and the cultivation of spaces where students—particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, can lead and thrive.

I met Jennifer Konfrst my first year at Drake University, long before she became House Democratic Leader or a candidate for Congress. Back then, I was a first-generation college student, new to Iowa, unsure of my footing, and truthfully—unsure if I belonged. Jennifer was assigned as my faculty mentor through the Crew Scholars Program, a leadership initiative for students of color. She didn’t have to take on that role; she volunteered for it. And she showed up. Every Thursday.

Some of our meetings ran long because I was navigating personal and academic challenges and needed a space to vent. Jennifer listened without judgment, asked hard questions, and reminded me that my presence on campus mattered. She balanced humor and humility with a kind of grounded honesty that’s rare in higher education, or in politics. She saw me as a person before she saw me as a student.

Rose Mary Pratt is a native of Des Moines and has been involved in Polk County and Iowa Democratic Party politics for fifty plus years. She is a former secondary education teacher in Minnesota, Council Bluffs, and the Des Moines area. She worked on the administrative staff of Governor Tom Vilsack and as a Legislative Secretary in the Iowa House of Representatives. She has volunteered and worked in many campaigns and remains committed to mentoring young people who want to be in politics and run for public office. She and her husband reside in Des Moines, and she is a proud mother and grandmother. 

As a long-time Democratic party activist, I’ve met many candidates running for office over the years and have worked in campaigns and been involved at a grassroots level in Iowa elections. I have given my time and money, and tried to encourage and mentor those who are committed and know why they want to run for public office. I have been fortunate to work with and for people who believe they can make a difference. I love the idea that when I see good people run, and win or lose, I am still glad to have had the chance to be a part of their campaign. 

I have had the honor of working for Governor Tom Vilsack and alongside Democratic and Republican lawmakers at the state capitol. I feel my activism should continue and I have to stay involved and work to find and support candidates whose qualities and abilities to lead are evident.  However, more significantly is the candidate’s desire to be of public service and in the public arena at this time of polarization and disillusionment with government.

I believe the country’s future depends on electing strong and visionary candidates who give us hope. I am endorsing Jennifer Konfrst for Iowa’s third Congressional district. I am confident she is the best candidate to represent our district and can win.

Xavier Carrigan is a Democratic candidate in Iowa’s third Congressional district. He delivered these remarks at the Iowa Insurance Division’s August 19 public hearing on proposed increases in health insurance premiums for policies sold on Iowa’s Affordable Care Act exchange. Although he is not directly impacted by these potential price increases, he felt that sharing his own experience from recent years was important to add to the context of the unaffordability of health care in the U.S., as part of his fight for Medicare for All.

My name is Xavier Carrigan, and while I am running for the U.S. House, I am here today as a citizen who has been forced to navigate the ACA marketplace when I had no other insurance options.

I know what it’s like to lose your insurance and be thrown into a system where every choice is a bad choice. When you’re uninsured and dealing with a chronic condition, the marketplace becomes a cruel joke disguised as help.

Two Democrats launched campaigns this past week in Iowa’s third Congressional district, one of the party’s top 2026 pickup opportunities in the U.S. House. Republican Representative Zach Nunn held off challenger Lanon Baccam in 2024, winning by roughly the same four-point margin by which Donald Trump carried the district. But in the last midterm election while Trump was president, Democratic challenger Cindy Axne defeated another two-term GOP incumbent in the Congressional district anchored by the Des Moines metro area.

The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales see IA-03 as a “lean Republican” district for 2026, while Sabato’s Crystal Ball views this race as a toss-up.

I interviewed State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott and State Representative Jennifer Konfrst about their priorities and the case they will make to Democrats as they compete for the chance to face Nunn in November.

I’m not aware of any other Democrats seriously considering this race. State Representative Austin Baeth, who said earlier this year he might run for Congress, confirmed to me on May 8 that he will seek a third term in Iowa House district 36. Though there is plenty of time for others to join the field, they would struggle to compete against Trone Garriott and Konfrst, who are experienced candidates and fundraisers with the capacity to run strong district-wide campaigns.

One of the biggest spenders on behalf of U.S. House Democrats launched digital advertising this week targeting U.S. Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn in Iowa’s first and third Congressional districts. The ads, enclosed in full below, claim the GOP incumbents “could cost you more,” because they support President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The House Majority PAC’s 501(c)4 affiliate, House Majority Forward, is funding the 30-second spots, part of a $10 million campaign targeting nine potentially vulnerable House Republicans.