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Iowa Candidate Defends Religious Diversity Amid 9/11 Backlash

4/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

Iowa congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democratic Lutheran minister, wrote an opinion piece on the September 11 attacks and anti-Muslim bigotry.
After facing backlash for reading a Muslim prayer in the Iowa Senate, she emphasized the need for religious diversity.
Iowa GOP spokesperson Jade Cichy condemned her for not mentioning the victims of 9/11, and Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft said her views insult Iowa values.

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Story summary

Iowa congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democratic Lutheran minister, wrote an opinion piece on the September 11 attacks and anti-Muslim bigotry.
After facing backlash for reading a Muslim prayer in the Iowa Senate, she emphasized the need for religious diversity.
Iowa GOP spokesperson Jade Cichy condemned her for not mentioning the victims of 9/11, and Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft said her views insult Iowa values.