DES MOINES, Iowa — Earlier in November, Democrat Melissa Vine announced her candidacy for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, currently held by Rep. Zach Nunn.
She joins military veteran and USDA worker Lanon Baccam in the race to unseat Nunn.
Vine, an Iowa native, sat down with Local 5's Connor O'Neal on Thursday to discuss how she plans to bring her Iowa roots to Washington.
"We want to see people succeed, right? We want people to have the human rights that people deserve in order to succeed," she said. "I think those are values we can all agree on, and can be really important to have in D.C."
Vine said she plans to center her campaign around three different goals.
"Access to abortion and women's healthcare rights," she said. "An income that works for all Iowans, right? You should be able to put a roof over your head, and put food on the table, and get your kid a backpack for school, right? If you're working 40 hours a week, those are things that should just be possible for you and your family. Third, I would say, moving away from extremism. I think Iowans are done with having their rights taken away."
Vine is a single mother of four after leaving an abusive relationship more than a decade ago, and she wanted to make a difference in the country centered around her story.
She's the executive director of The Beacon, which advocates for women recovering from trauma. The nonprofit organization serves out of a residential home in Des Moines, providing services for women who have experienced trauma and systemic inequity.
Vine said she wanted to duplicate her work with The Beacon at not only a state level, but a national level as well.
When asked why Vine believes it's time for a change in the state's third congressional district, she said: "I've started and run small businesses, right? So to be a small business owner brings all kinds of joys and challenges with it that I can relate with. And now being a nonprofit. So there are so many spaces of what the life might look like for an Iowan and their family that I can relate to. And for those that I can't, I'm eager to learn and bring empathy to those situations. So I can carry those stories with me to D.C."
Congressman Zach Nunn is currently serving his first term in Washington, and has already filed his 2024 Statement of Candidacy paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.
Rep. Nunn's campaign manager sent the following statement to Local 5:
“Melissa, Tracy, and Lanon are competing in a crowded Democrat primary, pushing the same tax-and-spend policies that have increased costs for Iowa families and driven up inflation. Zach, on the other hand, will continue to focus on serving with Iowa common sense and working to represent all Iowans. Case in point: just this week he passed bipartisan bills to reduce veteran suicide, hold Iran accountable for their support of terrorist groups, and fund critical programs Iowa’s farmers rely on.”