Iowa Governor Race 2026: Sand vs. Lahn

With Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) not seeking another term, Iowa is a top Democratic opportunity. Zach Lahn (R), a Belle Plaine farmer backed by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, won the nomination over Trump’s pick, Rep. Randy Feenstra. He has said Iowa must find out “what Big Ag and Big Pharma knew about the safety of their products,” and he now calls for eliminating the personal income tax and, longer term, property taxes on primary homes. State Auditor Rob Sand (D) has raised a record $37.8 million this cycle; Lahn’s largest donor, the Republican Governors Association, has given Lahn $15.5 million. Sand is running on government reform and a top-four open primary. He would also redirect private-school voucher money for wealthier families to universal pre-K, undo Medicaid privatization by executive order, and legalize, tax, and regulate adult-use cannabis. Their first two debates centered on money and the budget. In the first, Sand hit Lahn for voting in Kansas, noting he registered in Iowa less than two years ago, and called him a “change of address candidate,” while Lahn called Sand a “radical liberal” and accused him of using family wealth to spread lies about him. His ads hit Sand’s family money, and KCRG found his relatives have given his campaigns $13.1 million since 2018, and PolitiFact rated False his debate claim that tax cuts Sand criticized save a family of four $7,500 a year (it put the savings nearer $3,500). In the second, Sand pledged a 5 percent K-12 increase in his first year, paid for partly by ending data center tax breaks and taxing cannabis, while Lahn favored school “innovation zones” and phonics over more spending; both want to end the data center breaks. Sand pulled out of the third debate, which had been set for October 21 on Iowa PBS, after his brother-in-law was struck and killed by a vehicle; the campaigns said they would work on a new date. A Make America Healthy Again super PAC announced $1.5 million for Lahn’s campaign. Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball both rate the race Lean Democratic.