State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, an ordained ELCA minister, drew attention in 2021 when she read a Muslim prayer on the Iowa Senate floor and later defended the move as a way to amplify underrepresented faith communities. Republicans, including Rep. Zach Nunn and an RNC spokesperson, have criticized the gesture and her comments about Iowa being "mostly white, mostly Christian." Demographic data show Muslims make up under 1% of Iowa’s population, and the race is competitive: Nunn won by 3.9% in 2024 and the district is considered a top battleground for 2026.
Iowa House Race Intensifies As 2021 Muslim Prayer And 'Too White' Comments Resurface
State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democrat from Iowa and U.S. congressional candidate, right, greets attendees at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 13, 2025.(Getty Images)
State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott (D-Iowa), an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is again at the center of controversy after her 2021 decision to read a Muslim prayer on the Iowa Senate floor resurfaced on the campaign trail. Garriott, who is challenging Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) for a competitive congressional seat, says the gesture was intended to amplify underrepresented religious communities in a legislature she describes as "mostly white, mostly Christian."
What Happened In 2021
Shortly after her election to the Iowa Senate, Garriott read a prayer that invoked several names and attributes of Allah, introducing it as a contribution from an accomplished young woman in her district. She later discussed the move on the British Muslim TV YouTube channel with host Mohammed Shafiq, explaining that the Senate typically opens with Christian prayers and that she wanted a broader range of faith voices represented.
Iowa State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott reads an Islamic prayer on the chamber floor on Feb. 8, 2021.
"The Senate begins every day with prayer. And they almost always share Christian prayers. And for me, it’s really important to make sure that the diverse religious communities here and in Des Moines get to have their voice heard," Garriott told Shafiq. "I’ve made a commitment to only be praying prayers from those other communities."
Reaction And Campaign Impact
Republicans have seized on the comments and the prayer as evidence that Garriott is out of step with many Iowa voters. At a recent campaign event, Rep. Zach Nunn criticized her remarks, saying he did not accept what he characterized as an assertion that most Iowans are bigoted.
"I don't need a lecture from someone who pretends to preach from the pulpit while at the same time doing things like tell Americans that they're too white and too racist... I don't believe that's true," Nunn said.
An RNC spokesperson, Zach Kraft, called Garriott's appearance on a foreign television program and her comments "downright shameful," arguing the remarks were politically calculated.
Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, attends orientation for newly elected members of the 118th Congress at the Hyatt Hotel in Washington on Nov. 13, 2022.
Context And Demographics
Garriott has framed her actions as a response to what she describes as hostility and underrepresentation faced by Muslim residents in Iowa. Demographic estimates provide context for that argument: the Pew Research Center estimates roughly 93% of Iowans identify as Protestant, Catholic or unaffiliated, while the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) estimates that Muslims make up less than 1% of the state’s population.
What Remains Unanswered
Garriott has not provided a detailed response to questions about how far lawmakers should go to represent beliefs other than their own or whether such gestures risk appearing insincere. The episode has become a campaign flashpoint as both parties emphasize representation and cultural narratives heading into a closely watched 2026 contest.
Race Stakes: Nunn won re-election in 2024 by 3.9%. Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District is listed by the Cook Political Report among the 16 most competitive House races for 2026, making the contest likely to draw continued attention.
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