Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister and Democratic candidate in a competitive Iowa House race, is facing criticism after a resurfaced 2023 recording in which she described participating in a 2006 wedding for a couple who identified as satanists while serving as an intern pastor. She said she ultimately read from 1 Corinthians 13 and framed the episode as a lesson about love and pastoral duty. Opponents, including the NRCC and Rep. Zach Nunn, have seized on the remarks to question her religious judgment, while her campaign says ministers must serve all people and defends her record.
Campaign Scrutiny After Video Shows Lutheran Candidate Recounting Officiating 'Satanist' Wedding
Rep. Zach Nunn speaks to members of the press as he exits a Republican Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Oct. 12, 2023.(Getty Images)
Democratic congressional candidate and Lutheran minister Sarah Trone Garriott is facing renewed scrutiny after a resurfaced 2023 recording captured her describing participation in a 2006 wedding for a couple who identified as satanists while she served as an intern pastor in West Virginia.
Trone Garriott, who is running in a competitive Iowa House race against Rep. Zach Nunn, recounted the story during a Des Moines Storytellers Project event. She said she was asked by the supervising pastor to select Scripture readings and ultimately read from 1 Corinthians 13, the familiar passage that begins, "Love is patient; love is kind."
Her remarks framed the ceremony as a ministerial moment about love and pastoral care even when parishioners hold different beliefs. On stage she reflected that the Apostle Paul's words on love are timeless and that ministering often requires serving people whose beliefs differ from one’s own.
What She Said
In her onstage remarks, Trone Garriott described feeling initially uneasy about the couple’s presence and their open disagreement with the congregation’s beliefs. She recalled placing a bookmark on 1 Corinthians 13 and reading the passage aloud. She also described being moved by the groom — noting a pentagram tattoo on his face — and concluded that, despite tensions, the couple displayed tenderness toward one another by the ceremony’s end.
"When the Apostle Paul wrote these words, he certainly never had in mind a small town in West Virginia, two satanists and a Lutheran pastor in training," she said, according to the recording. "But Paul knew people, and people haven't changed that much over the centuries. It is hard to love one another. We often need to be reminded how."
Political Fallout
The resurfaced recording has become a focal point in the contest for a swing congressional seat in southwestern Iowa. Opponents and the National Republican Congressional Committee have used the anecdote, along with prior statements by Trone Garriott, to question whether her actions and views align with the Christian values many voters expect.
Rev. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran pastor and Iowa state senator, greets congregants at Grace Lutheran Church in Des Moines on March 15, 2026.
The NRCC criticized her record in a statement, saying her rhetoric and decisions raise questions about judgment and values. Rep. Zach Nunn's campaign has also highlighted the episode in campaign messaging.
Campaign Response And Context
Trone Garriott’s campaign defended her actions, saying that as a minister-in-training she followed her supervising pastor and that parish ministry requires serving everyone who walks through the church doors. A campaign spokesperson emphasized that her faith calls her to "love thy neighbor" and pointed to her work as a Lutheran minister, hospital chaplain, and parish pastor.
Separately, a source familiar with the campaign noted Trone Garriott was not ordained until 2008 and disputed that she formally conducted the marriage. However, Trone Garriott’s own onstage line — "This was going to be my first wedding" — suggests she played an active role in the ceremony.
Background Issues Raised Earlier
The recording arrives amid prior scrutiny of Trone Garriott’s stances on religion in public life. In 2023 she said she was uncomfortable with overt displays of Christianity in government settings and defended inviting non-Christian prayers at the statehouse. In a 2015 opinion piece she argued that "Jesus engaged with pagans" when criticizing objections to a Wiccan-led prayer.
As both campaigns intensify efforts ahead of the midterm election, this personal anecdote has become a talking point in a close race where faith and values are prominent issues for many voters.
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