CV NEWS FEED // Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a pro-abortion Catholic who was one of CatholicVote’s top targets of the 2022 elections, has been defeated by Zach Nunn, a pro-life Catholic.
The race in south-central Iowa, including Des Moines, has been closely watched as a key pickup opportunity for the GOP.
At the time the race was called by the Associated Press on Wednesday night, Nunn was leading Axne by 2,000 votes, a margin of 0.6%.
CatholicVote had made Axne the first target of its $3 million midterm election effort. CatholicVote had micro-targeted tens of thousands of key Catholic voters in the district with advertising, text messages, and more. CatholicVote had also held a protest against Axne in her district, calling her out for her anti-Catholic positions and silence on the attacks on churches and pregnancy resource centers in her district.
“We focused a lot of energy on this race, and it’s very gratifying to see that not only is a bad self-identifed Catholic going down, she’s being replaced by a Catholic who we believe will make us proud,” said Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote.
The victor, Zach Nunn, is a retired United States Air Force officer and active member of the Iowa Air National Guard. He is currently a state senator and a father of four.
“You couldn’t ask for a better replacement for one of the worst Catholics in Congress,” Burch said. “We are thrilled for Zach and look forward to working with him in Washington, DC,” he said.