'Pagan' outreach, Wiccan prayer defense could haunt Dem in battleground race

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, discusses reports Russia provided Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces. Republicans are escalating attacks on Iowa Democratic candidate Sarah Trone Garriott by pointing to her past op-eds — including her defense of a Wiccan-led statehouse prayer in which she argued "Jesus engaged with pagans" — in a high-stakes race for a GOP-held district. Garriott, a Lutheran minister who is vying for the battleground seat held by Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, penned an op-ed in The Des Moines Register in 2015 criticizing Christian lawmakers who boycotted a Wiccan-led statehouse prayer. This writing and others, including another op-ed in which she shared how the 9/11 terrorist attacks made her "more aware of the rising anti-Muslim bigotry and its harm," have become the target of GOP attacks as the Republicans ramp up efforts to defend their Hou