Sarah Trone Garriott is running for Congress in Iowa's 3rd District, hoping to flip the red seat and help Democrats regain control of the House. She just dropped a new ad attacking her opponent, Rep. Zach Nunn, and in that ad, Trone Garriott is lying about her own voting record.
"I'm a mom with two kids in Iowa public schools. Their education and safety literally keep me up at night," Trone Garriott says. "So when my opponent cherrypicks and twists my record, I have to set it straight."
"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. I approve this message because politicians have become too extreme on these issues. And I'll always put kids and families first," she adds
But a fact check of Trone Garriott's claims shows her record isn't as kid- and family-friendly as she says it is.
Claim: "I oppose letting men in women's locker rooms."
Fact: Sarah Trone Garriott voted to allow men in girls' sports and private spaces, including their locker rooms and bathrooms. In 2022, Trone Garriott voted against H.F. 2416, legislation that required any interscholastic or intercollegiate athletic teams sponsored by Iowa schools to be designated as male, female, or coeducational and prohibited men from joining women's teams.
The following year, Trone Garriott also voted against S.F. 482, legislation that required Iowa elementary and secondary schools to designate multiple-occupancy restrooms and locker rooms for use by people of the same biological sex. That legislation prohibited a person from entering a school restroom or locker room designated for the opposite biological sex.
Trone Garriott is lying when she said she opposes boys in girls' sports and private spaces. Her record shows she voted against legislation that would protect girls' sports, their locker rooms, and their bathrooms.
Claim: "I voted to let parents, not politicians, make decisions for their kids."
Fact: Trone Garriott cosponsored legislation that would let teachers, not parents, make decisions about what kids learn in school, including a bill to teach sex education in kindergarten classrooms. She also voted against a bill that would have prohibited classroom instruction on gender identity for kids from kindergarten through 6th grade. When confronted about her votes, Trone Garriott couldn't defend her position.
"Senator, what was it like to give the sex talk to your five year old?" the man asked. Trone Garriott ignored him, so he asked again, "Why did you cosponsor legislation for schools to teach sex ed in kindergarten?"
Trone Garriott did not respond to that question, either, but walked into a building.
The bottom line is this: Trone Garriott is trying to hide her record from Iowa voters by lying in this ad. She doesn't oppose men in women's locker rooms or boys in girls' sports, and she doesn't respect parental rights. Meanwhile, her opponent, Zach Nunn, is putting families first. Nunn, a father of six children — five of them being daughters — understands the importance of protecting girls' sports and private spaces, and the importance of letting parents make decisions for their children. He also dropped an ad outlining Garriott's radical record.
"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."