Democrat Lanon Baccam believes his military and U.S. Department of Agriculture background will help him attract rural, independent voters in Iowa’s hotly contested 3rd Congressional District, which includes the Des Moines area and much of south-central and southwest Iowa.

Baccam served in the Iowa Army National Guard for eight years. The Des Moines Register Speaking at a political lectern at the Iowa State Fair, he explained that it was difficult to convince his parents to co-sign his draft papers. Baccam’s parents had resettled in Iowa in the 1980s as refugees from war-torn Vietnam.

“Imagine a group of people from Southeast Asia, these Tai Dam people and many others who risked their lives to escape the war in Vietnam,” Baccam said. “When they finally came to this country and their son was going to serve in the military, they were terrified of what it would mean if we ever went to war. But I knew it was my time to go, and I did.”

Baccam was deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 with an engineer unit tasked with disposing of unexploded ordnance.

He is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, a veteran of the Air Force and Iowa National Guard.

Grant Gerlock

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Iowa Public Radio

Address border security and party politics

Appearing at the State Fair on Friday, Nunn said border security was the number one issue he was hearing on the campaign trail. Other Iowa Republicans running for Congress also said they were concerned about the number of people crossing the southern border.

Baccam said he agrees that Congress needs to address border security, but he said the state’s representatives in Washington, D.C., missed an opportunity to do something about it. He blames congressional Republicans for the failure of a potential legislative solution when they allowed bipartisan immigration reform to stall in the U.S. Senate.

“And I think that’s the kind of stuff that Iowans are sick of. Anytime there’s a chance to actually do something and get something done, politics gets in the way,” Baccam said. “Iowans are sick of it. They want to see their representatives in Congress actually get something done, and when I get there, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we get something passed.”

Nunn said the border must be secured before Congress considers reform.

Abortion rights remain a central issue in the election campaign

Baccam also said his support of abortion rights contrasts with Nunn, who during his tenure in the Iowa Senate sponsored legislation similar to Iowa’s new six-week abortion ban.

“This abortion ban in Iowa is exactly what he wanted. He voted for an almost identical bill when he was in the state Senate,” Baccam said. “And in a debate last election cycle, he raised his hand – he said no abortions, no exceptions to a national abortion ban, not even in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger. That’s extreme.”

Baccam said he supports the passage of a federal law to codify Roe v. Wade and protect access to contraception and in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The Nunn campaign has rejected Baccam’s portrayal of Nunn’s stance on abortion. In a recent statement, campaign manager Kendyl Parker called a Baccam campaign ad that made similar claims “dishonest and misleading.”

“Zach has always made it clear where he stands. He is pro-life, has voted for exemptions, and has fought for access to contraception and IVF. He opposes a federal ban and believes these policies should be left to the states.”