As his Democratic opponents prod him to hold a town hall, Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn maintains he is accessible to the public but wants to avoid hosting "a taxpayer-funded protest event."
"We do public events all the time, and we make sure that those are well-shared," he said Monday, Aug. 25. "We're not going to do what the Democratic groups want us to do and just host a taxpayer-funded protest event."
Many of Iowa's Republican members of Congress have held heated town halls this year where they've faced criticism from the public, including over President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill."
Many of the town halls have featured audience members shouting, chanting and talking over the speaker. In May, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst faced backlash after telling one constituent, "well, we all are going to die," in response to shouted concerns about Medicaid cuts.
Nunn, who is running for reelection in central Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, answered questions from reporters on Aug. 25 after holding an event at Clive Behavioral Health announcing legislation aimed at training more nurses around the country.
Nunn said he's "held hundreds of forums with folks," and it's those types of policy-focused events he said he intends to do more of.
"I want to be specifically focused on issues, things that people actually want to get to us," he said. "And that's one of the reasons we've held so many events to be able to bring in new ideas. A number of those great ideas have actually turned into legislation that's been successful.
"What I'm not going to do, though, is have a taxpayer-funded event so that a Democratic-funded protest group can just hijack it. I don't think that's helpful for anyone, and I've heard from so many Iowans who don't want that either."
Nunn said he was at the Iowa State Fair every day, calling it "the best public forum that you can be at." He said people from around Iowa came up to him at the fair to talk about their priorities, and he's been able to turn some of those priorities into laws or bills with a chance to pass Congress.
Nunn's congressional website says he has held 304 events with Iowans, and his staff have held 129 mobile office hours. The website says Nunn's office has resolved 1,788 cases involving Iowans and answered 120,676 questions from Iowans.
Some of those events include announcements of legislation intended to expand rural housing, increase aid for small businesses, boost penalties for people who defraud federal benefits programs, investigate scammers who target older Iowans, recruit and retain truck drivers and ensure low-income seniors in rural areas can access food assistance.
Nunn typically answers questions from reporters at events announcing legislation.
Nunn has also appeared in front of Republican-leaning crowds, speaking at venues like the Westside Conservative Club at the Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale.
One of Nunn's Democratic opponents, state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, has said she'll hold a public town hall on Sept. 7, saying "Nunn continues to hide from the public."
"Our government works best when everyone's voices are heard," Trone Garriott said in a statement. "I’ve spent my career listening and working with Iowans, and right now, Zach Nunn isn’t. While on Congress's summer break, he’s hiding from his constituents after voting to cut Medicaid and SNAP while doing nothing to make Iowa more affordable for working families. Iowans deserve a representative who will show up for them, hear their concerns, and be accountable. It’s not hard to do, but he’s not doing it. So I am."
State Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, who is also running to challenge Nunn, said Aug. 25 that she has visited all 21 counties in the 3rd District.
"As a proud daughter of Iowa, there’s been nothing more energizing than getting out to every corner of my hometown district to hear directly from other working Iowans," she said in a statement. "We’re worried about the rising cost of groceries, rent and health care. We’re holding our breath to see the impact this Big Billionaire Bill will have on our rural hospitals and our healthcare premiums. And through it all, we are ready to fight back and win this race for Iowa. That’s the fight I’m taking to Congress."
A Nunn campaign spokesperson provided a statement, saying "Zach is delivering wins for every Iowan while out-of-touch Democrats can't even spell Wapello County right," referencing one of Konfrst's social media posts.
“Zach Nunn has held hundreds of events across all 21 counties in Iowa’s 3rd District and delivered real results: $60 billion in support for farmers, $3,000 in tax relief for working families, regulatory relief for hometown businesses and a well-earned pay raise for our servicemembers," the spokesperson said.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Will US Rep. Zach Nunn hold town halls this year? Here's what he said
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