Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam faces off against Republican incumbent Zach Nunn in a televised debate tonight.
Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam faces Republican US Rep. Zach Nunn. The live debate will air at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District stretches across 21 counties in the southwestern and south-central parts of the state. It includes Des Moines, West Des Moines, Osceola, Winterset, Adel, Ottumwa and Red Oak.
Who are the candidates?
Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam of Des Moines is an Iowa National Guard veteran and the son of Tai Dam refugees brought to the Hawkeye State by then-Gov. Bob Ray. He has worked for Tom Vilsack in the governor’s office and when Vilsack served as US Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Incumbent Zach Nunn of Bondurant was in the Iowa Legislature from 2014 until 2022, when voters elected him over Democrat Cindy Axne to the US House of Representatives. He is also a veteran in the US Air Force Reserve.
Nunn’s record on abortion
In his bid for reelection, Nunn has taken heat over his past stances on abortion.
“Let me be clear on where I’ve always stood: I’m pro-life, voted for exceptions, and fought for access to contraceptives and IVF,” Nunn told the The Des Moines Register. However, his record is far from clear.
As an Iowa representative in 2018, he supported a near-total abortion ban. As written, the bill would have banned abortion as early as six weeks—which will sound familiar. This “nearly identical” bill was eventually passed by the Iowa Legislature and is now in effect. Nunn left the chamber before the bill passed.
In a May 2022 WHO 13 debate, Nunn was asked whether he thought “all abortions should be illegal in this country.” He raised his hand. When asked, “All abortions, no exceptions?” Nunn kept his hand up. Nunn has since retreated from this no-exception position, which is consistently extremely unpopular, according to available polling of Iowans.
“While Zach Nunn has spent years fighting to restrict access to abortion, including supporting an abortion ban with no exceptions, Lanon Baccam has dedicated his life to defending our rights and bringing people together,” Baccam’s campaign manager Michael Donaher told Iowa Starting Line.
The race is considered a “toss up” by political analysts.
How to watch?
The live debate will air at 7 p.m. central time on Tuesday, Oct. 8. You can tune in to KCCI’s broadcast at KCCI.com and on the app.
