Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigned Monday for Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn at the Iowa State Fair, delivering remarks about military funding and the U.S.-Iran conflict as Nunn faces a highly competitive reelection bid in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District.
Hegseth appeared at “Operation Top Nunn: Salute to the Troops,” an annual campaign fundraiser held at JR’s Southpork Ranch on the fairgrounds. The event, which was originally scheduled for March but postponed after two Iowa soldiers were killed in an Iranian strike on a Kuwait facility, honored military members and their families while raising funds for veterans support organizations.
The Defense Secretary spoke about attending dignified transfers of U.S. soldiers killed in the U.S.-Iran conflict, which began February 28. “There is a cost to doing very difficult things, to going out and defending your country, and ensuring radical Islamist crazies don’t get a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch. He emphasized that the administration needed allies in Congress who understood military needs, pointing to Nunn as an example.
Hegseth called for support for the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion budget proposal, framing it as essential for national defense. “President Trump needs the type of leaders who understand why a $1.5 trillion dollar budget, a one-time generational investment, is what is necessary to ensure that my kids and your kids, that your grandkids and my grandkids, live in a free country, defended by the most powerful military in the world,” he said, per Des Moines Register.
Nunn, a military veteran who won his House seat in 2022 by defeating then-incumbent Democrat Cindy Axne, is seeking reelection in a district that has become significantly more competitive. Cook Political Report recently shifted Iowa’s 3rd District from “Lean Republican” to “Toss-up,” reflecting a narrowing margin. Nunn won his 2024 reelection by four points, running about even with Donald Trump’s performance in the district.
His opponent, Democratic state Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, released a statement criticizing the event. “It’s disgraceful that Zach Nunn and Pete Hegseth are partying together at a campaign stop in Iowa while our service members are under threat and facing poor conditions overseas,” Trone Garriott said, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch. “Our leaders should be focused on ending this war and keeping Americans deployed overseas safe, not fundraising for Zach Nunn’s campaign.”
The Iowa State Fair has become a major political venue during election years, with candidates from both parties using the event to connect with voters before the November general election. Vice President JD Vance visited Iowa in May to boost Nunn’s reelection campaign, underscoring the national Republican focus on the race. The appearance by Hegseth, one of Trump’s highest-ranking cabinet officials, signals the administration’s investment in Nunn’s reelection effort as Republicans work to maintain their House majority.
Sources
- Iowa Capital Dispatch — Hegseth’s remarks at the event, details about the postponement and fallen soldiers, and Trone Garriott’s response
- Des Moines Register — Hegseth’s Pentagon budget statement and Nunn’s reelection campaign context
- Cook Political Report — Rating of Iowa’s 3rd District as a toss-up race
- Ballotpedia — Nunn’s 2024 election results and district demographics
