A Republican woman in a campaign commercial gave a grave warning about Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democratic candidate in one of Iowa’s most competitive House districts.
“When it comes to our kids, Sarah is just plain dangerous,” says Shellie Flockhart, a Dallas Center city councilwoman identified in the ad by her first name.
Flockhart, 55, pleaded guilty to charges related to child endangerment and driving under the influence after authorities said she drove drunk with two of her children in the car in 2017. Flockhart provided a one-page statement to The Washington Post with conditions for its use that would violate The Post’s editorial standards.
Flockhart’s detractors on social media in recent years have brought up her criminal history.
In podcast interviews last year, Flockhart acknowledged her history of drugs and alcohol addiction and said she went to rehab earlier in her life and found God. She said she has counseled other people with similar histories.
“It’s been one of the most rewarding things ever, and I don’t regret that part of my journey because it’s brought a lot of depth to life and it’s brought me salvation,” Flockhart said in a 2025 podcast.
After the campaign commercial featuring Lockhart aired, a local Iowa liberal group brought attention to Flockhart’s criminal record in social media posts, mocking her appearance as ironic.
The ad from the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that aims to elect Republicans to the House, features several women, including Flockhart, accusing Trone Garriott of being “dangerous” to children due to her voting record as a state senator on transgender issues. Trone Garriott is challenging Rep. Zach Nunn (R) for a House seat.
The super PAC spent at least $1 million on the ad, according to AdImpact, which tracks campaign commercials.
Trone Garriott voted against a bill prohibiting schools from letting students enter a bathroom that does not correspond with their sex at birth.
Flockhart criticized Trone Garriott’s voting record in the ad.
Zach Schenkman, a spokesperson for Trone Garriott, said, “It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that Zach Nunn and his allies have resorted to desperate lies to try to win this election.” Nunn’s campaign did not return a request for comment.
Flockhart was taken into custody on suspicion of drunken driving with her two of her children, then ages 8 and 11, in the car in 2017, according to court records from the Iowa District Court for Dallas County.
The responding officer said he spoke to her after spotting her parked in grass on the side of a highway, that her speech was very slurred and she “appeared to have difficulty comprehending” questions, according to an affidavit included in court filings. A preliminary breath test displayed a .254 blood alcohol content, three times the .08 legal limit for driving, and a test taken at the jail displayed a .192 level, the affidavit says.
She later pleaded guilty to a count of child endangerment and one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, according to court records. For both misdemeanor convictions, she was ordered to pay a fine and placed on probation.
Torunn Sinclair, a spokeswoman for the Congressional Leadership Fund, responded to a request for comment on the ad with a statement that did not address Flockhart’s inclusion and criticized The Post for reporting on it.
The Des Moines-area district that Trone Garriott is running in shifted from a toss-up race to one that favors Democrats earlier this month, according to the nonpartisan election prognosticator Cook Political Report, as the state became unexpectedly competitive for Republicans.
Republicans in Iowa have sought to cast their Democratic opponents as out of touch on transgender issues. Democratic candidates in Iowa, including Trone Garriott, gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand, and Senate candidate Josh Turek have all distanced themselvesfrom progressive positions on the issue.
“I oppose letting men in women’s locker rooms and voted to let parents, not politicians, make decisions for their kids,” Trone Garriott said in a recent ad that drew criticism from some LGBTQ+ activists.
Dan Merica contributed to this report.
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