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Zach Nunn
IA · District 3
In plain English: Represents Iowa District 3 in the U.S. House of Representatives. House members vote on federal laws and spending.
Term
2025-01-03 – 2027-01-03
Next election
2026-11-03Cook Political Report rates IA-03 Toss-up (reaffirmed Sept 25, 2026); Democratic challenger is State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott of West Des Moines.
Running for
U.S. House (IA-03), re-election
Committees
House Committee on Financial Services; House Committee on Agriculture; House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party; Vice Chair, Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions (Financial Services)
Zach Nunn is the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, first elected in 2022 after serving in the Iowa House (2015-2019) and Iowa Senate (2019-2023). He served roughly two decades in the U.S. Air Force as an airborne intelligence officer, including three combat deployments after 9/11 with over 700 combat hours, and holds the rank of colonel in the Air Force Reserve. In the 119th Congress he sits on the Financial Services and Agriculture committees, as vice chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, and on the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. He faces Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott in the Nov 3, 2026 general election in a race rated Toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
Bio source: https://legilist.com/generate-factsheet.php?bioguide=N000193
1. Follow the money, in plain English
What we don’t have yet: verified donor records for this leader. Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
Every money claim on this page carries its source and its confidence level; the full item-by-item money record is in the evidence below.
2. What they promised
Each promise is tracked against documented votes and actions. A status is set only from the record; where a promise has not been tested yet, the card says so.
- PROMISEIn progress
"I will not support another open-ended war." (Posted on X on Sept 15, 2026, after his Yea vote on the war-powers resolution; no subsequent Iran-related votes on record as of Oct 1, 2026.) Status so far: He voted Nay on H.Con.Res. 89 on July 23, 2026, and Yea on H.Con.Res. 93 on Sept. 15, 2026; both resolutions directed the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran. On Sept. 16, 2026 he said his vote was influenced by a Congressional Budget Office report that $38 billion had been spent on the war through Aug. 1.
- PROMISEIn progress
My plan: Sell American energy to Americans first. Pass my Iowa-led biofuel bill = bring down gas 50 cents. Hold Big Oil accountable for gouging.
- PROMISEIn progress
I'm fighting to lower prescription drug prices, hold Washington accountable and put more dollars back in Iowans' pockets.
- PROMISEIn progress
[Paraphrase] Promised his bipartisan BEEF Act would rebuild America's cattle herd, increase domestic beef production, and lower grocery costs for families, while reversing the expansion of foreign beef imports and requiring congressional approval for future import increases: "If we want more affordable beef for the long term, we need more American beef being raised and produced here at home." Status so far: The BEEF Act was introduced on Sept. 23, 2026 with Rep. Gabe Vasquez. The record says it would suspend the administration's beef-import proclamation and require congressional approval for future beef-import increases.
3. The evidence
Everything on this page comes from the record below, grouped so you can find things: what they said, what they did, money and influence, and what happened after. Every item carries its date, its source, and the date we last verified it.
Open the full record ↓
What they said
- STATEMENT
On critics of his Iran war support: told Fox News that those who wanted to "make this about politics" should "grow a stronger spine." (As quoted by Iowa Starting Line.)
- STATEMENT
Said price increases tied to the Iran war were "overhyped, candidly, by the media." (As quoted by Iowa Starting Line.)
- STATEMENT
"We have done the right things through Operation Midnight Hammer and through a strike on the Ayatollah to make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon. But I don't want to see that come back to the table."
- STATEMENT
"With the negotiating window closed, sustained combat operations now require congressional authorization. Having deployed multiple times and flown over 700 combat hours in the Middle East, I will not support another open-ended war. We can defend Americans, pressure Iran, and pursue peace while ensuring Congress fulfills its constitutional responsibility." (Posted after the Sept 15, 2026 war-powers vote; CNN quoted the post in the Sept 15 KION story.)
- STATEMENT
Noted the "devastating price" Iowa has paid for the war and said Iran must be "held accountable," while making clear the administration no longer has a blank check: "Sustained combat operations now require congressional authorization." (As quoted by The Wall Street Journal.)
- STATEMENT
Told WHO 13 News his vote was influenced by a Congressional Budget Office report that $38 billion had been spent on the war through Aug 1: "I'm a combat veteran. I've been in these wars that have gone on not just years but decades, and I don't want to see that being the future of America. Tactical operations to prevent terrorism, a country from getting a nuclear weapon, a despot regime that's trying to take over or torture and kill its people—these are the types of things I think U.S. military action makes sense for."
- FACT
Nunn and Democratic challenger Sarah Trone Garriott agreed Oct 15 to their only televised debate: 9 p.m. Oct 27 on KCCI (Des Moines), one week before Election Day, ending weeks of scheduling impasse.
- STATEMENT
"On the debate stage Iowans will have a clear choice between my record of delivering bipartisan results for all Iowans and my opponent's radical record. … I said yes to this debate in September because Iowans deserve to hear from both candidates, and I stand ready to make my case on Oct. 27."
- STATEMENT
Urging the Senate to pass the GUARD Act after scammers stole over $1 million from a Wapello County farmer: "Scammers stole more than $1 million from a Wapello County farmer who spent a lifetime earning it. His case showed why local deputies need better tools to trace stolen money and pursue the criminals behind these schemes. I introduced the GUARD Act because Iowa law enforcement asked for the resources to follow the money and hold these criminals accountable. We delivered overwhelming bipartisan support in the House. Now the Senate must finish the job, send this bill to the President's desk, and ensure Iowans can retire with confidence that the savings they earned are protected."
Verification note: Single-source; the underlying House vote (414-7, September) predates the window.
What they did
- VOTE
H.R. 8800: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 Yea on On Passage (Roll Call Vote 278) (passed 216-212)
- VOTE
H.R. 7008: Stop Insider Trading Act (barring members, spouses, dependent children from buying publicly traded stock; combined with voter-ID provisions; later blocked in Senate cloture, 53-47, on Sept 30, 2026) Yea on On Passage (Roll Call Vote 280) (passed 232-198)
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 113: $95B budget resolution (defense ceiling tied to Iran); formal title: Establishing the congressional budget for FY2027 and budgetary levels for FY2028-2036 Yea on On Agreeing to the Resolution (Roll Call Vote 281) (passed 216-214)
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 89: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran Nay on On Agreeing to the Resolution (Roll Call Vote 282) (passed 214-208)
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 93: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran; seven Republicans voted Yea (Nunn, Miller-Meeks, Mace, Massie, Barrett, Davidson, Fitzpatrick) Yea on On Agreeing to the Resolution (Roll Call Vote 307) (passed 220-204)
- FACT
H.R. 9686, FARM AI Act of 2026 (sponsored 2026-07-14 with Rep. Don Davis, D-NC): bipartisan bill to designate AI a priority research area at USDA and expand rural AI workforce programs.
- FACT
Unclaimed Veterans' Legacy Grant Program Act (H.R. 9321, introduced 2026-06-15 with Rep. Don Davis, D-NC): opens VA grant funding to nonprofits identifying and honoring unclaimed veteran remains; subcommittee hearing held 2026-06-25.
- FACT
BEEF Act, Banning External Entry of Foreign Beef Act (introduced 2026-09-23 with Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-NM): would suspend the administration's beef-import proclamation and require congressional approval for future beef-import increases.
Money and influence
- DATA UNAVAILABLE
Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
- FACT
Vice Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions in the 119th Congress (committee listing, LegiList and GovTrack).
- FACT
Named to the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (announced Feb 4, 2025; in his own words it is 'responsible for assessing the threats to the economy and national security posed by the government of China').
- FACT
Selected as one of nine Members of Congress to serve on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (per campaign announcement, 2025).
- FACT
Claims a Bridge Grades ranking of third most bipartisan member of the U.S. House (his Aug 17, 2026 Des Moines Register Political Soapbox speech; his own claim about a third-party score).
What happened after
No outcomes recorded yet.
None documented (checked 2026-10-01).
Sources
- U.S. House Clerk
- U.S. House Clerk
- U.S. House Clerk
- U.S. House Clerk
- U.S. House Clerk
- kioncentralcoast.com
- wsj.com
- thedregsreport.com
- desmoinesregister.com
- desmoinesregister.com
- desmoinesregister.com
- iowastartingline.com
- europesays.com
- legilist.com
- govtrack.us
- riponadvance.com
- nunn.house.gov
- legilist.com
- dtnpf.com
- meatpoultry.com
- wyomingnews.com
- Des Moines Register
- Iowa Capital Dispatch
- IA Fact Check
- Hawkeye Reporter
Evidence
Related receipts
Receipt · PublishedThey said they opposed the Iran war. Then they voted to keep paying for it.Every factual item carries its source, date, and last-verified stamp. Items marked unavailable are genuinely missing. Never filled in.