Iowa
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.
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.
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.
“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.
Iowa
Iowa Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday results for May 8, 2026
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-5-8
Evening: 9-9-2
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-3
Evening: 0-7-0-6
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Iowa
Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid
IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
Iowa
Harkin backs Turek for Iowa Senate
Scoop: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek snagged a major endorsement for his Senate bid from former Sen. Tom Harkin.
Harkin, who retired in 2015, was the last Democrat to represent Iowa in the Senate. Turek is locked in a competitive primary with state Sen. Zach Wahls in a race that has divided major factions of the Democratic Party.
“I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you,” Harkin said in his endorsement. “That’s why I’m supporting Josh Turek.”
Harkin served in the Senate for 30 years and is the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Turek, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was 11 when the ADA was enacted.
Harkin is a widely sought after endorsement in the Hawkeye State. His decision to wade into the race is notable because Harkin also has a relationship with Wahls.
Wahls called Harkin “one of my closest political mentors,” and said the former senator officiated his wedding in 2021.
Iowa’s Senate primaries are June 2.
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