EXCLUSIVE: Iowa Dem Candidate Admits To Morphing Persona Based On ‘Who’s Paying Me’

Democrat Iowa state senator and congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott admits to morphing her persona depending on who’s paying her, in a clip obtained by the Daily Caller.

Trone Garriott, an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) running in Iowa’s 3rd congressional district, made the remarks during the Iowa Secular Summit in July 2023, where she appeared to be presenting to a group of attendees using a PowerPoint. (RELATED: Democratic Candidate Sarah Garriott Complains Iowa Leaders Are Too White, Too Christian, Too Male)

“And so in my life as a state legislator, there are times in my life where I’m very clear where I am doing the church thing, and I’m the minister, and that’s what I’m about. And there are times that I know I’m the senator and that’s what I am there for,” she said.

The state senator added that navigating those roles can at times be unclear and “confusing,” telling the audience she can feel like she’s “all things” at once.

“But there’s a lot of time that gets kind of mushy and kind of confusing, like today I’m not really sure who I am right now. I’m kind of all things. Uh, you know sometimes I can tell by the outfit I’m wearing or my name tag, or who’s paying me, but um other times it’s hard because all these things they connect and you know, they get a little messy.”

Along with her comment on choosing her personality based on who is giving her money, she has received donations from several high-profile Democrat leaders.

In just this quarter, her campaign received a maximum-level donation from Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. Notably, the address associated with the contribution documents under Pritzker’s name and viewed by the Daily Caller is the same address used by the JB for Governor campaign committee’s Chairman and Treasurer, Lee “Rosy” Rosenberg. The address also appears to be associated with an account used by Pritzker’s failed 1998 congressional campaign — which appears to be the main vehicle for most of his political contributions.

The Caller reached out to Pritzker’s campaign to confirm the validity of the donation, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Trone Garriott has received additional support from Democrat megadonors Quinn Delaney and Elizabeth Simons — who have been aligned with “defund the police” efforts. (RELATED: Kamala’s Long-Time Protégé Wants To Defund The Police And Empty Jails)

Delaney, co-founder of the Akonadi Foundation, is a major Democratic donor who backed former Vice President Kamala Harris after former President Joe Biden ended his 2024 reelection bid.

She also worked with George Soros to support liberal prosecutor campaigns in California in 2020 and has opposed tougher retail theft penalties, according to Politico.

Elizabeth “Liz” Simons, the daughter of late hedge fund billionaire Jim Simons, emerged as the top individual donor to Jay Jones’ struggling — but ultimately victorious — 2025 Virginia attorney general campaign, contributing $750,000, according to campaign finance records.

During the campaign, text messages were made public in which Jones allegedly fantasized about shooting Republican colleague, former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, “in the head,” and suggested Gilbert’s wife should be forced to watch his young “fascist” children die, according to an October report in National Review.

The elder Simons founded Renaissance Technologies and amassed a fortune of $31.4 billion, while donating billions to charity. Simons has also funded a range of left-wing causes, including support for socialist New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Simons gave the maximum-level donation twice to Trone Garriott in March, while Delaney made one maximum contribution during the same quarter, according to FEC records.

She has also received donations from the American Association for Justice (AAJ) PAC, which supports ending qualified immunity.

In a February 2021 AAJ released a statement backing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act — which includes provisions to eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement—the AAJ described the measure as “an important step toward increased accountability” and urged Congress to pass it, along with broader reforms across government.

In a separate June 2020 statement, the group strongly criticized qualified immunity as an “unjust” doctrine that shields officers from accountability in civil rights cases, and called on Congress to eliminate it entirely.

Nearly 80% of her total fundraising dollars came from out-of-state donors, including more than a 33% from California, according to fundraising records obtained by the Caller.

When asked about Trone Garriott’s comments in the video and the donations from Pritzker, Delany, and Simons, a spokesperson for Trone Garriott called her opponent, Republican Iowa Rep. Zach Nunn, “desperate” for attacking her work as a minister.

“Zach Nunn and his allies are so desperate that they are attacking Sarah for her years of work as a Lutheran minister, food pantry leader, and State Senator. No matter the job, Sarah works for Iowa families, while Nunn makes life more expensive.” (RELATED: Democrats Make Flipping Some Deep Red House Districts Priority For Midterms)

The spokesperson further noted that Nunn has also received donations from the AAJ PAC. Trone Garriott will face off against Nunn in the November 3rd general election.

The Daily Caller reached out to Gov. Pritzker regarding the contribution, but was directed to his campaign office. The Pritzker campaign did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.