Iowa House Democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst announced Thursday she is running for Congress in Iowa's 3rd District, seeking to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, of Bondurant.
She’s the second Democratic state lawmaker this week to announce their candidacy for the U.S. House seat, which covers portions of central and southern Iowa and includes the Des Moines metro.
“I’m running for Congress because Iowans need a fighter for them in Washington and Zach Nunn isn’t up to the job,” Konfrst said in a statement. “Too many Iowans are being left behind and they deserve better. Our farmers need clarity and certainty. Our kids need strong public schools. Our families need more affordable health care, childcare, and housing. Our seniors need to know they can count on their hard-earned Social Security and Medicare benefits. Our veterans, just like my dad who receives health care from the VA, need to be protected from dangerous budget cuts that put their care at risk. It’s time to send someone to DC who will put aside party politics and fight for Iowans.”
Political forecasters expect the race to be one of the country's most competitive next year. Sabato’s Crystal Ball recently labeled the district a toss-up. Nonpartisan elections analysts at the Cook Political Report rates the seat as one that "leans Republican.“
The campaign arm of U.S. House Democrats last month placed Iowa’s 3rd District on its list of targeted seats “in play” for the 2026 midterm elections, along with Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, held by Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and 2nd Congressional District held by Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson.
Nunn, 46, is expected to seek re-election but has yet to make a formal announcement. He recently ruled out a run for Iowa governor in a radio interview on WHO AM with Simon Conway after Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in April that she is not seeking another term.
State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister and Democrat from West Des Moines, announced her campaign for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District on Monday.
Konfrst, 51, will step down from her position as minority leader to run for Congress, but will remain a state representative through the end of her term next year.
An associate professor at Drake University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Konfrst is the first woman to lead Iowa House Democrats. She first was named to the position in 2021 to replace former minority leader Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, who stepped down from the leadership position for the remainder of his term and did not seek re-election. The Democrat from Windsor Heights was first elected to the Statehouse in 2018 and was elected to her fourth two-year term last fall.
A spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee said Konfrst and Trone Garriott will have a “messy” primary fight “to be the most extreme Democrat,” while Nunn “delivers results for Iowans.”
www.thegazette.com
She’s the second Democratic state lawmaker this week to announce their candidacy for the U.S. House seat, which covers portions of central and southern Iowa and includes the Des Moines metro.
“I’m running for Congress because Iowans need a fighter for them in Washington and Zach Nunn isn’t up to the job,” Konfrst said in a statement. “Too many Iowans are being left behind and they deserve better. Our farmers need clarity and certainty. Our kids need strong public schools. Our families need more affordable health care, childcare, and housing. Our seniors need to know they can count on their hard-earned Social Security and Medicare benefits. Our veterans, just like my dad who receives health care from the VA, need to be protected from dangerous budget cuts that put their care at risk. It’s time to send someone to DC who will put aside party politics and fight for Iowans.”
Political forecasters expect the race to be one of the country's most competitive next year. Sabato’s Crystal Ball recently labeled the district a toss-up. Nonpartisan elections analysts at the Cook Political Report rates the seat as one that "leans Republican.“
The campaign arm of U.S. House Democrats last month placed Iowa’s 3rd District on its list of targeted seats “in play” for the 2026 midterm elections, along with Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, held by Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and 2nd Congressional District held by Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson.
Nunn, 46, is expected to seek re-election but has yet to make a formal announcement. He recently ruled out a run for Iowa governor in a radio interview on WHO AM with Simon Conway after Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in April that she is not seeking another term.
State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister and Democrat from West Des Moines, announced her campaign for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District on Monday.
Konfrst, 51, will step down from her position as minority leader to run for Congress, but will remain a state representative through the end of her term next year.
An associate professor at Drake University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Konfrst is the first woman to lead Iowa House Democrats. She first was named to the position in 2021 to replace former minority leader Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, who stepped down from the leadership position for the remainder of his term and did not seek re-election. The Democrat from Windsor Heights was first elected to the Statehouse in 2018 and was elected to her fourth two-year term last fall.
A spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee said Konfrst and Trone Garriott will have a “messy” primary fight “to be the most extreme Democrat,” while Nunn “delivers results for Iowans.”
Iowa House Democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst announces campaign for Congress
Iowa House Democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst, of Windsor Heights, announced Thursday she is running for Congress in Iowa's 3rd District, seeking to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, of Bondurant.
www.thegazette.com
