Zach Nunn wins election in Iowa’s 3rd District for Republican sweep of Congressional races

Republican Zach Nunn won election to Iowa's 3rd District seat in the U.S. House, unseating two-term incumbent Democrat Rep. Cindy Axne.

The Associated Press called the race for Nunn Wednesday afternoon. Iowa's 3rd District includes Polk and Dallas counties, as well as areas to the south and west.

Nunn declared victory at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night, before the race was officially called. Nunn, a state legislator, won with 50.3% of the vote to Axne's 49.7%, a separation of slightly more than 2,000 votes.

"We're going to work with people not just across the aisle, but every Iowan who wants to make a dedicated move to make our state better — and by result, our country better," Nunn said to a crowd at a Republican election night event.

Axne conceded and thanked her supporters Wednesday afternoon.

"Representing Iowa’s Third Congressional District has been one of the best opportunities of my life and I hope Zach Nunn understands the responsibility of this office and will continue my hard work to uplift Iowans’ voices in Washington, D.C.," Axne said in an emailed statement.

The 3rd District race was viewed as competitive throughout the election season. Nonpartisan election forecasters predicted the district leaned Republican, and several recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Polls found voters narrowly split between Democratic and Republican candidates.

With Nunn’s victory, Republicans will represent all four of Iowa’s districts in the U.S. House. Both of Iowa’s senators are also Republican.

Campaigns centered on economy, abortion and Biden's tenure

Nunn, a state senator and Air Force officer, hammered Axne and President Joe Biden on the campaign trail over the economy and inflation. He often asked voters in the district to compare the federal government to Iowa's leadership — a Republican refrain ahead of this election.

At a Monday event with Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nunn recalled his work in the Iowa Senate on several rounds of tax cuts, legislation to support law enforcement and an election reform bill. Reynolds won reelection on Tuesday.

Nunn, a Bondurant resident, was elected to the Iowa House in 2014, then to the state Senate in 2018. He also serves in the U.S. Air Force and works as a consultant. Nunn and his wife, Kelly, have six children, including two foster children.

Axne, who was first elected to the House in 2018, focused her campaign on abortion rights and touting Democratic accomplishments from Biden's first two years in office. At a Des Moines event just days before the election, Axne promoted the 2021 infrastructure bill and the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.

Before Axne was elected to the U.S. House, she worked for the state government. Axne lives in West Des Moines and owns a digital design firm with her husband. She has two sons.

The 3rd District race was expensive, and at times, bitter.

Candidates and outside groups spent nearly $15 million in the 3rd District, according to ProPublica, including spending to launch a barrage of campaign ads on Iowa viewers. The ads took aim at everything from the candidates' stances on abortion to Nunn's record in Drake University student government to Axne's family vacation to France.

More:What Iowa 3rd District candidates Cindy Axne, Zach Nunn say on issues like abortion, inflation

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com or at 410-340-3440. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Zach Nunn wins Iowa's 3rd Congressional District race over Cindy Axne