Democrat Lanon Baccam, running for Iowa’s Third Congressional District, scrubbed his X account of dozens of anti-Trump and pro-Biden posts prior to winning the congressional primary earlier this month. The posts, which remain accessible online through the archival site Wayback Machine, have come under scrutiny by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).
According to the NRCC, Baccam’s move to remove the posts is an attempt to appear more moderate and distance himself from his partisan past as a political activist. Baccam has previously served as President Biden’s Iowa deputy state director and worked on several other Democratic campaigns.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said, ‘It’s clear Lanon Baccam is desperately trying to run from his past as a paid political activist, hide his extreme stances and lie to the voters of Iowa.’
Baccam’s X account, as of June 13, no longer mentions former President Trump or President Biden, a move that appears to distance the candidate online from both the Republican and Democratic nominees for president in the General Election.
In response to the allegations, Baccam said, ‘From helping veterans transition to careers in agriculture, to implementing critical investments in our communities and expanding access to rural broadband, I’m proud of the work we accomplished at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As a rural Iowa native, combat veteran, and public servant, I’ve dedicated my life to helping working families get ahead and strengthening our communities. That’s why I’m running for Congress and it’s exactly what I’ll continue to do if elected.’
Baccam faces Republican incumbent Rep. Zach Nunn in November. Nunn flipped Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District from blue to red in 2022, and Democrats are keen to take the seat back before Nunn’s power of incumbency increases with multiple terms.
