Democrat Lanon Baccam believes his background serving in the military and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture will attract rural, independent voters in Iowa’s closely contested 3rd Congressional District, which includes the Des Moines area, as well as much of south central and southwestern Iowa.
Baccam served for eight years in the Iowa Army National Guard. At The Des Moines Register Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair, he explained it was hard to convince his parents to co-sign his enlistment papers. Baccam’s parents resettled in Iowa in the 1980s as refugees from war-torn Vietnam.
"If you can imagine a group of folks from Southeast Asia, these Tai Dam people and many others who risked their lives to escape from that war in Vietnam,” Baccam said. "To eventually come to this country, and for their son to serve in the military, they were terrified for what that would mean if we ever went to war. But I knew it was my time to go, and I did.”
Baccam deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 with a combat engineering unit tasked with disposing of unexploded munitions.
He is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who is a veteran of the Air Force and Iowa National Guard.
Addressing border security and partisan politics
When Nunn appeared Friday at the state fair he said border security is the top issue he hears about on the campaign trail. Other Iowa Republicans running for Congress have also said they are alarmed by the number of crossings at the southern border.
Baccam said he agrees Congress needs to address border security, but he said the state’s representatives in Washington, D.C., missed an opportunity to do something about it. He blames Republicans in Congress for the failure of a potential legislative solution when they allowed a bipartisan immigration overhaul to stall in the U.S. Senate.
"And this is the kind of stuff I think Iowans are tired of. Every time there’s a chance to actually do something and get something done, politics gets in the way,” Baccam said. "Iowans are tired of it. They want to see their representatives actually get something done in Congress, and when I get up there, I will do everything I can to make sure we pass something.”
Nunn said the border must be secured before Congress considers reform.
Abortion rights remain central to the race
Baccam also said his support for abortion rights stands in contrast to Nunn, who supported a law similar to Iowa’s new six-week abortion ban when he served in the Iowa Senate.
"This abortion ban in Iowa is exactly what he wanted. He voted for a near-identical bill when he was in the state Senate,” Baccam said. "And in a debate last cycle, he raised his hand — he said no abortions, no exceptions for a national abortion ban even in the case of rape, incest and the life of the mother. That is extreme.”
Baccam said he supports passing federal legislation to codify Roe v. Wade and to protect access to contraceptives and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The Nunn campaign has pushed back on Baccam’s characterization of Nunn’s position on abortion. In a recent statement, campaign manager Kendyl Parker called a Baccam campaign ad that made similar claims "dishonest and misleading.”
"Zach has always been clear on where he stands. He’s pro-life, voted for exceptions and fought for access to contraceptives and IVF. He opposes a federal ban and believes this policy should be left up to the states.”
