Fact Check: Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott’s Ad Misleads Iowa Voters on Her Record

By John Damon | Just The News Iowa

Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott is running for Congress in Iowa’s 3rd District, hoping to flip a red seat and help her party retake the U.S. House. But a new campaign ad from Garriott is drawing fire from conservatives who say it misrepresents her own voting record on key issues like parental rights and girls’ sports.

In the ad, Garriott, a state senator from West Des Moines, tells viewers: “I am Sarah Trone Garriott and I oppose letting men in women’s locker rooms and I voted to let parents, not politicians, make decisions for their kids.” She also claims her opponent, Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, is “cherrypicking and twisting” her record.

But a review of Garriott’s actual votes in the Iowa Senate tells a different story.

Did Garriott Oppose Men in Women’s Locker Rooms?

Garriott says she “opposes letting men in women’s locker rooms.” But her voting record shows otherwise. In 2022, she voted against H.F. 2416, a bill requiring Iowa schools to designate athletic teams by biological sex and barring men from joining women’s teams. The following year, she also voted against S.F. 482, which required schools to designate restrooms and locker rooms by biological sex and prohibited a person from entering facilities designated for the opposite sex.

Both bills were backed by Republican lawmakers and parental rights groups as common-sense protections for girls and women. Garriott’s votes against them contradict her ad’s claim.

Did Garriott Vote for Parental Rights?

Garriott also says she “voted to let parents, not politicians, make decisions for their kids.” But her record again raises questions. She cosponsored legislation that would have allowed schools to teach sex education starting in kindergarten, a move that drew sharp criticism from parents who say such topics are best left to families. She also voted against a bill that would have prohibited classroom instruction on gender identity for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

When a voter confronted Garriott on video about her cosponsorship of the kindergarten sex education bill, she did not respond and walked away. The exchange, captured by a conservative activist, has been widely shared online.

Nunn’s Record on Families

Garriott’s opponent, Rep. Zach Nunn, is a father of six children, five of them daughters. He has made protecting girls’ sports and parental rights a centerpiece of his campaign. Nunn recently released an ad highlighting Garriott’s voting record, calling it “too extreme for Iowa.”

“Sarah Trone Garriott says ‘politicians are too extreme on these issues,’ and she’s a perfect example,” said NRCC Spokeswoman Emily Tuttle. “Her record is too extreme, too dangerous, and too out of touch for Iowa.”

The 3rd District race is one of the most closely watched in the country, with control of the U.S. House potentially at stake. Iowa voters will decide in November whether Garriott’s record matches her rhetoric.

This article is based on publicly available voting records and campaign statements. Just The News Iowa is committed to fact-based reporting that holds elected officials accountable.