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Zach Nunn and Lanon Baccam make final arguments for Iowa's 3rd District

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Zach Nunn and Lanon Baccam make final arguments for Iowa's 3rd District

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The congressional candidates for Iowa's 3rd District made their final arguments to voters at various events Monday evening, just 12 hours before polls opened.

Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn is hoping to win a second term in Congress, while Democrat Lanon Baccam is trying to wrest the seat from GOP control.

The 3rd Congressional District is considered a mess by nonpartisan election observers. The district includes 21 counties in central and southern Iowa, including the cities of Des Moines, West Des Moines, Winterset, Osceola and Ottumwa.

Election day is Tuesday. Polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m

More: Your guide to the 2024 election in Iowa

Zach Nunn calls the 3rd District “the most competitive district in America”

Nunn met with U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley Monday night in Altoona, where he praised the Republican Party's success in getting its voters to cast their ballots earlier this year.

“Raise your hands if you’ve already voted,” Nunn said as hands shot around the room. “Look at this crowd!”

Nunn called for Republican priorities such as combating illegal immigration, securing the U.S. southern border and reining in government spending. He also highlighted the bipartisan work he has done on issues such as expanding family and medical leave for National Guard and Reserve members and fighting puppy mills.

He announced his record as 10thThAccording to the Lugar Center at Georgetown University, he is the most bipartisan lawmaker in Congress based on the number of bipartisan bills introduced or co-sponsored by members.

“I offer you this in the 3rdapprox District, friends,” Nunn said. “This is the most competitive district in America.” We deliver. We stood for Republican principles but worked with independents and Democrats to create real legislation that changes people’s lives for the better.”

Nunn told reporters after his remarks that he was proud of his office's work helping constituents on issues such as helping veterans access their benefits, helping Iowans access Social Security and Medicare and helping new citizens get their jobs to help with your passport.

“We have a voter response rate that almost exceeds that of any other freshman in Congress,” he said. “These are the types of things that when Iowans show up and say it matters to them, we know for a fact that they will vote because we have made their lives better. We have the privilege of being able to fight for them.”

More: Zach Nunn, seeking a second term in Iowa's 3rd District, is an advocate for immigration and the economy

“Your job is not done,” Democrats tell supporters at a rally for Lanon Baccam

Baccam took the stage Monday night in a packed gymnasium at the Franklin Center in Des Moines, where he and other Democrats urged supporters to keep working in the final hours of Election Day.

“Your work is not done,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack told the crowd. “You still have 24 hours. In fact, these are the most important 24 hours of the entire election. That’s the difference between winning and losing.”

Baccam thanked those who made phone calls and knocked on doors on his behalf.

“We are on the threshold. You can all feel it. Look at this room,” he said, before reviving former President Barack Obama’s famous call-and-response campaign chant: “Warmed up, ready to go!”

“No question, I will fight for our friends in labor,” he told the group. “I will fight for our education. And I will pass the Women's Health Protection Act, and we will make Roe the law of the land again.”

Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Rita Hart, who lost her own congressional election by six votes in 2020, called herself a “poster girl for making every vote count.”

“I’m here to tell you that our races are closer together than we ever imagined,” she said. “We've been talking about this for almost two years.” We knew what was coming, but now we're here and it's even closer than we ever imagined. That’s why we need to get everyone out there to vote.”

She urged Democrats to continue calling, texting and getting people to the polls.

“You can make a difference,” she said.

More: In a divided 3rd District, Democrat Lanon Baccam is arguing for a return to a more unified Iowa

Nunn and Baccam respond to a new poll in Iowa that shows voters prefer a Democrat

The latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll found that a majority of likely Iowa voters in the 3rd District prefer a Democratic candidate over a Republican candidate, 48% to 41%.

Speaking to reporters following his remarks, Nunn dismissed the poll's results, saying: “We will not be deterred by this.”

“Look, we feel energized,” he said. “We've been out there for weeks, knocking on doors and talking to people. And here's the reality: polls don't add up. And I think you can look at all kinds of surveys out here. What matters is the type of ground game.” Have you done that? We approached it like a military operation. In the last three days alone we have knocked on tens of thousands of doors.

During his speech to the crowd, Baccam also referenced the poll.

“I know that was exciting,” he said. “But I don’t think anyone in this room is surprised because you all have worked hard day in and day out to make sure we get to the position we’re in right now. And not only am I going to flip this place tomorrow,” we could flip one in southeast Iowa.

Iowa's 1st Congressional District in southeastern Iowa is also expected to be close, where Democrat Christina Bohannan is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

More: Iowa poll: Democrats are preferred over Republicans in two out of four congressional districts

The 3rd District saw millions of dollars in advertising spending, with Nunn attacking Baccam on immigration and Baccam criticizing Nunn's conduct on abortion.

Baccam has outperformed Nunn in four consecutive fundraising quarters, but Nunn has raised more throughout the election cycle: about $5.3 million to Baccam's $4.8 million. Baccam spent $4.5 million in the entire election cycle, while Nunn spent $4.4 million.

OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan organization that tracks money in politics outside of spending by groups like super PACs, has spent a total of about $15.7 million in the 3rd District. This includes expenses of $3 million to support Nunn and $950,000 to support Baccam, as well as more than $6 million for Baccam's opponent and $5.7 million for Baccam's opponent Nunn.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She also covers the 2024 presidential election for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at[email protected] or call 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at@sgrubermiller.

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