State Sen. Zach Nunn, an Air Force veteran, won the GOP nomination to take on Rep. Cindy Axne, a vulnerable Democrat, for an Iowa U.S. House seat in November.
Mr. Nunn took more than 66% of the vote, easily defeating two other GOP candidates in Iowa’s primary election on Tuesday.
“We’re humbled by today’s win, but we know we have a long road ahead of us. We’re going to work hard for it,” Mr. Nunn told reporters.
Mr. Nunn served two combat tours in Afghanistan and one more in Iraq during his military career.
He has also served in the state Senate since 2019, and is a small business owner.
The National Republican Campaign Committee has targeted Ms. Axne as one of the nation’s most vulnerable Democrats.
She is the sole Democrat in Iowa’s six-member delegation to the U.S. Congress as the state, long closely divided between the two parties, has swung increasingly Republican in last few elections.
Ms. Axne, who has focused on rural outreach during her tenure, represents Iowa’s 3rd District, which is centered on Des Moines.
She was elected in 2018 — a year that brought in a number of freshman Democrats who flipped GOP seats.
