Amid heated political rhetoric, allegations have surfaced involving Iowa Rep. Zach Nunn and Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott. Claims have circulated that Trone Garriott officiated a Satanic wedding, though these assertions are unsubstantiated.
Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister and state senator, has been a vocal challenger to Rep. Zach Nunn, who is seen as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans in the upcoming reelection. Trone Garriott’s involvement in a storytelling event has been the center of controversy.
In 2023, Trone Garriott participated in the Des Moines Storytellers Project, where she shared a personal narrative under the theme of “love.” The story recounted an incident in 2006 when a couple identifying as Satanists requested a marriage ceremony at her church in West Virginia.
Though uncomfortable with the request, Trone Garriott was directed by her head pastor to choose a Bible verse to read, ultimately learning the value of goodwill towards others. “It’s hard work to love one another and we often need to be reminded how,” she concluded.
Contrary to the claims, Trone Garriott did not officiate the wedding and was not qualified to do so at the time. The ceremony, held in a Lutheran church, followed Christian traditions with New Testament readings.
Despite these details, Nunn and his supporters have continued to mischaracterize the event. Nunn stated at a Clarke County Republican Liberty barbeque that Trone Garriott “goes out and officiates demonic weddings,” as reported by Osceola Iowa.
In April, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) amplified the falsehood via a social media post claiming “Trone Garriott officiated a SATANIST WEDDING” and accusing Democrats of being “NUTS.”
Republican spokespeople have echoed these accusations in multiple statements.
Another line of attack falsely claims that Trone Garriott described Iowa’s private Christian schools as “white enclaves” and “segregation academies” in a sermon. She clarified that these comments referred to historical contexts of the 1970s, not modern schools.
The intensity of these attacks may reflect electoral concerns among Republicans. A poll conducted by Conservatives for America in March showed Nunn leading Trone Garriott by a slim margin of one percentage point. Meanwhile, Trone Garriott’s campaign financing has outpaced Nunn’s, raising $2.2 million last quarter compared to Nunn’s $968,000.
The Cook Political Report currently categorizes the race as a toss-up, indicating a highly competitive election ahead.
