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Lanon Baccam wins Democratic nomination in Iowa’s 3rd District, will face US Rep. Zach Nunn

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Lanon Baccam wins Democratic nomination in Iowa’s 3rd District, will face US Rep. Zach Nunn


Lanon Baccam, a military veteran and former U.S. Department of Agriculture official, won the Democratic nomination in Iowa’s 3rd U.S. House District on Tuesday.

Baccam will face Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn in November, in a race for the south-central seat that is expected to again be closely contested and watched nationally by both sides of the aisle.

The Associated Press called the race for Baccam over nonprofit leader and small business owner Melissa Vine just 20 minutes after polls closed across Iowa.

Baccam, who joined the Iowa National Guard at 17 and later deployed to Afghanistan, has worked on several Iowa-based Democratic campaigns, including President Joe Biden’s in 2020, and worked at the USDA under former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.

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He is a Mount Pleasant native and the son of Tai Dam refugees who emigrated to the U.S. from Laos and lives in Des Moines with his wife and daughter.

Baccam immediately emerged as the favored candidate by many elected Democrats in Iowa, endorsed by Vilsack as well as State Auditor Rob Sand and a slate of members in the Iowa House and Senate.

He later received the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — House Democrats’ campaign arm — and the group placed the district among its “Red to Blue” list of high-priority seats this November.

He opted to keep a relatively low profile throughout the primary cycle, largely ignoring his opponent while holding meet-and-greets with supporters and groups across the district. His campaign held few publicly announced events open to the public and press.

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Vine, who positioned herself as an outsider running to bring a single mother’s perspective to Congress, failed to keep up with Baccam’s fundraising and party support, while also facing an ethics complaint that resulted in a $500 fine.

Meanwhile, Baccam’s campaign posted prolific fundraising numbers — more than $900,000 in the early months of 2024, the most of any Iowa congressional candidate and more than Nunn. He will head into the general election already well-financed, with more money expected to pour into the district in the coming months from both Democrats and Republicans.

Nunn, an Air Force officer who lives in Bondurant with his wife and six children, is seeking his second term. He defeated former U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, a Democrat, by just over 2,000 votes in 2022.

House Republicans’ campaign arm, in a statement Tuesday, criticized Baccam while reiterating support for Nunn in the coming general election.

“Lanon Baccam is a paid political activist who has been making a desperate attempt to run from his political past, hide his extreme stances and lie to the voters of Iowa,” said Mike Marinella, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

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“National Democrats had to shuffle through every conceivable Iowa Democrat before they landed with this hyper-partisan extremist. Rep. Zach Nunn will have a resounding victory this November and continue delivering meaningful results for Iowans.”

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has Iowa’s 3rd U.S. House District rated as a “lean Republican” seat heading into the summer.

This story will be updated.

Galen Bacharier covers the Statehouse & politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.





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Iowa

Iowa men’s basketball: Junior guard Josh Dix unavailable for Hawkeyes’ game vs. Rider

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Iowa men’s basketball: Junior guard Josh Dix unavailable for Hawkeyes’ game vs. Rider


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IOWA CITY — Iowa guard Josh Dix is out for the Hawkeyes’ matchup with Rider on Tuesday.

Dix injured his wrist during Iowa’s win over Washington State on Friday in Moline, Ill. He tried playing through it but was largely ineffective and finished the game with just two points.

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“Hopefully Josh’s injury will be taken care of relatively quickly,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said after the game. “We’ll have to see.”

The junior has started four games for the Hawkeyes this season, averaging 12.3 points and four assists per contest while shooting 44.4% from deep.

The Hawkeyes have already been hit with injuries fairly often this season. Seydou Traore missed the first two games. Owen Freeman was unavailable for the game against South Dakota due to illness. Freshman Chris Tadjo, who is also out Tuesday, has also missed time.

Iowa plays Utah State on Friday in Kansas City, Missouri, in what is expected to be the Hawkeyes’ biggest challenge to date this season. The Aggies will enter that matchup with a 4-0 overall record and haven’t scored less than 95 points each game this season.

Dix’s status for that matchup will be an important storyline to track.

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Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com





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Iowa State football: See which former Cyclones players stood out in Week 11 of NFL season

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Iowa State football: See which former Cyclones players stood out in Week 11 of NFL season


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Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books, and several former Iowa State players had huge hands in their teams’ performances.

The collection of ex-Cyclones in the NFL continues to grow, with several more added to rosters this season after having around a dozen consistently active last season. While the star-studded names like Brock Purdy, Breece Hall and David Montgomery continue to shine week after week, several others Iowa State fans will recognize are making significant impacts at the pro level too.

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With that, here are a few ex-Cyclones who stood out in Week 11 of the NFL season.

David Montgomery, Detroit Lions RB

Everyone on the Detroit Lions got a piece of the action in Sunday’s 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Montgomery was right in the middle of the dominance.

The former Iowa State running back finished with 15 carries for a game-high 75 yards and two touchdowns. Montgomery also added three catches for 20 yards.

He’s now found the end zone 10 times this season, but Sunday was Montgomery’s first game with multiple touchdowns since a 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 13. Montgomery and the Lions are rolling right along this season.

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Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers QB

Just when Purdy and the 49ers seem like they’ve turned a corner, disaster strikes on the field. That’s what happened in Sunday’s 20-17 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The former Iowa State quarterback still managed a decent day, finishing 21-for-28 for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Purdy also added five carries for 40 yards and a score. He’ll look for a rebound winning performance Sunday at Green Bay.

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Breece Hall, New York Jets RB

It’s a broken record at this point. Hall goes for a decent day, even as his New York Jets continue to sputter significantly.

In Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the former Iowa State running back finished with 16 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. Hall also added seven catches for 43 yards and a score. It’s impressive the stats keep coming even as the wins aren’t.

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.



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University of Iowa fraternity suspended after 56 pledges found in basement during alleged hazing

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University of Iowa fraternity suspended after 56 pledges found in basement during alleged hazing


The University of Iowa has placed one of its fraternities on interim suspension after an alleged hazing incident last week.

Alpha Delta Phi has been accused of having 56 blindfolded pledges “with food thrown on them” in the fraternity house’s basement, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

The pledges were discovered by Iowa City police and university police when the agencies responded to a fire alarm at the fraternity house at around 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 15.

The fraternity was ordered by the university’s Office of Student Accountability to “suspend all operations” pending the outcome of the investigation into the hazing allegations. The fraternity’s national organization also placed the UI chapter under suspension.

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SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SUSPENDS FRATERNITY AFTER ‘REPUGNANT’ HAZING VIDEO SURFACES ONLINE

A fraternity at the University of Iowa is suspended by the school and its national organization following hazing reports. (Reuters)

One person, who is not a student and does not live at the fraternity house, was arrested and charged with interference with official acts, the university said.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen identified that person as 21-year-old Joseph Gaya. His charge stems from standing “in front of the officers in the doorway of the room full of pledges” and refusing to move out of the way, the outlet reported.

He allegedly stepped between two witnesses and an officer during a conversation, and told the witnesses “not to talk to the police.” The officer told Gaya to step away, but he allegedly refused and eventually told the officer, “You can (expletive) leave, how about that?” 

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The two witnesses told Gaya they were “fine,” according to the Press-Citizen, but he still did not leave.

Alpha Delta Phi house at University of Iowa

The Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at the University of Iowa is under an interim suspension following an investigation into alleged hazing in the house’s basement. (Google Earth)

FLORIDA FRATERNITY BROTHER WITH BRAIN DAMAGE FROM HAZING SENDS LIFESAVING WARNING TO FUTURE GREEKS

The university said its Office of Student Accountability will follow its discipline procedure for student organizations, which includes issuing sanctions for prohibited behaviors, such as hazing.

“As registered student organizations, fraternities are expected to uphold the values of the university, and their members are expected to comply with the Code of Student Life,” the university said in a news release.

The affected students have been offered “counseling and resources,” according to UI.

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University of Iowa police car in front of campus building

Campus police at the University of Iowa are investigating the hazing incident, along with the university’s Office of Student Accountability. (University of Iowa Campus Safety / Facebook)

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“The university is committed to protecting the health and safety of its students and will address any behavior that puts student safety at risk,” the university said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Alpha Delta Phi’s national organization and the University of Iowa police.



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