Who will run for Iowa governor in 2026?
Ahead of the 2026 election, let’s take a look at each candidate running for Iowa governor.
- A series of negative TV ads on the crucial final day of the race gave the race an even more negative tone.
- The negative turn comes amid signs Mr Rahn may be gaining momentum.
- Feenstra said he believes he will win the nomination outright on Election Day.
Republican candidates for Iowa’s gubernatorial race are making their final pitch to voters in the state, hoping to secure support ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.
At a poolside rally in West Des Moines, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra pledged to build on the foundation of Iowa Governors Terry Branstad and Kim Reynolds and “take this state to new heights.”
And in the basement of an event venue in Newton, businessman Zach Rahn told supporters he would “fight for the next generation against special interests that exploit and try to milk Iowans.”
Both candidates are expected to lead in a five-way primary that also includes state Rep. Eddie Andrews, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former state executive Adam Steen.
All five have traveled across the state and shared their journeys in social media posts and media interviews.
Early voting is still ongoing, and Election Day voting will begin at 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday, June 2.
To win an election outright, one candidate must receive 35% of the vote. If no one meets that criteria, the nomination would be decided by grassroots delegates at a statewide convention.
Mr. Feenstra entered the gubernatorial race as the presumptive favorite, boasting high-profile endorsements, millions of dollars in fundraising, and a greater name recognition than his competitors.
But he has not been able to comfortably consolidate support heading into Election Day, especially among MAGA-aligned grassroots Republicans who view him with skepticism.
He has also struggled to win support from supporters who have criticized him for refusing to debate his opponents or attend multi-candidate forums.
Although it would still be a major upset for Feenstra to lose the nomination, he said he believes he will win the nomination outright on Election Day.
However, some acknowledge that even within Feenstra’s orbit, there remains a possibility that a race could be held.
Former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who supports Feenstra, told the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network, “I’m hopeful that Lundy can get 35 percent.” “But with five candidates, that’s not a sure thing.”
Rahn, who is showing signs of momentum, also said he expected a victory.
“I know I have a chance to win outright in the primary. I absolutely will win,” Rahn told reporters. “You know, we’ve looked at the data ourselves and we see it. There’s a reason we’ve been able to withstand the attacks of our main opponents, and that’s because we’re winning.”
Iowa Republican gubernatorial race turns negative due to competing attack ads
On the crucial final day of the race, the atmosphere took on a more negative tone.
Feenstra’s campaign began running ads targeting Mr. Rahn over his investment in a men’s sexual health company.
Rahn said he invested $1 million in the company in its early stages when it was building medical technology, but stepped down from the board before it began selling a line of recreational products.
Rahn dismissed the ad as “typical politics” and a sign that his campaign is on the rise.
A super PAC called Right America, Inc. also began airing television ads attacking Feenstra on immigration issues.
The ad targets Feenstra, who works as Hull city manager and works to reach out to the Hispanic community. In a news article at the time, Feenstra said the city does not verify the immigration status of participants in community conversations.
Feenstra called the ad “disingenuous” and said he worked with President Donald Trump to “close our borders and deport illegal aliens.”
Rahn said the group and the ads have “no connection whatsoever” to his campaign.
Is Zach Rahn gaining momentum ahead of Election Day?
The negative turn comes amid signs Mr Rahn may be gaining momentum.
A poll conducted May 27-28 by JMC Analytics and Polling found Rahn leading Feenstra by 27% to 24%. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.18 percentage points.
This is in contrast to a previous poll on the primary field conducted April 14-15 by Victory Enterprises, an Iowa-based Republican consulting firm affiliated with Feenstra’s campaign. The poll showed him leading the Republican candidate with 41% of the vote. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
In the last-minute fight, some Republicans changed their positions on the candidates.
Mr. Trump, who had remained neutral in the Iowa gubernatorial primary, came off the sidelines on Friday, May 29, to announce his long-awaited support for Mr. Feenstra.
Feenstra’s campaign immediately began touting its support in television ads that were quickly cut.
The endorsement upset some anti-Feenstra activists who saw the move as an effort by the Republican establishment to slow Rahn’s momentum.
That could prove important in energizing Feenstra among voters who are just paying attention to the race and decided late.
Conservative commentator Steve Deese, who previously supported Steen in the gubernatorial race, endorsed Rahn the next day.
He shot a video on May 30 that he texted to voters, urging them to support Rahn.
“If you want to stop Randy Feenstra from handing over the state to Rob Sand, you need to vote for Zach Rahn on Tuesday,” Deese said in the video. “Zack is the only candidate with the momentum and potential to beat Randy Feenstra so that he doesn’t turn the state over to Rob Sand to make Iowa the next Minnesota.”
Diaz later revealed on social media that he was still voting for Steen.
“I thought (Steen) was the most prepared to be governor,” he wrote in a post to X. “Unfortunately, as a candidate he was not at all successful.”
Feenstra runs out of war funds, Rahn raises funds again
Feenstra ran out of campaign funds during the primary campaign and had less than $150,000 in his bank account as of May 29, when he filed.
This speaks to the extent to which Mr. Feenstra had to defend his front-runner status in a relatively eventful primary. But he dismissed the idea that the primary was more difficult than originally expected.
“You know, this is Iowa. This is great,” Feenstra said. “We’re all civically engaged, and that’s a great thing.”
Candidates for governor were required to file final campaign finance disclosures before the Friday, May 29 primary election.
The scope of this disclosure is much shorter than previous reports, disclosing funding and spending for just 12 days starting May 15th.
Mr. Rahn raised about $60,000 during this period and gave himself a $500,000 loan, bringing the total he gave to his campaign during the campaign to $2.5 million.
Feenstra raised approximately $38,500 during the most recent disclosure period. This is the second consecutive fundraising period in which donations to Feenstra have been lower than donations to Rahn.
Mr. Rahn is also spending more than Mr. Feenstra, as he aims to close the gap with the front-runner, putting about $633,000 into the race compared to Mr. Feenstra’s roughly $476,000.
Feenstra touts tax cuts, promises to discuss with Sund
Feenstra’s final campaign stop was an event hosted by West Des Moines Mayor Russ Trimble. In attendance were Branstad, a number of councilors, lobbyists and local elected officials.
Feenstra joked that with so many elected officials, “Maybe we should talk about property taxes for a while. What do you think?”
He touted his work in Congress where he helped draft the tax cuts included in “One Big Beautiful Bill,” including farm provisions and other provisions that “dramatically impact the state.”
“Every day I thought about what I could do for Iowa,” he said.
Mr. Feenstra said it was important to defeat Mr. Sund and told reporters after the event that he looked forward to discussing Mr. Sund in the general election.
“I’ll do it anywhere, anywhere,” Feenstra said. “If he wants it, I’m willing to discuss it.”
‘Full of life’ Zach Rahn wants to protect Iowans from special interests
In his final message to a group of Newton supporters, Rahn pitched himself as a candidate willing to take on big business and fight monopolies.
“We have a very rich history of people running for office to protect the public from special interests,” he said. “And that’s what my campaign is about: giving the people a voice again.”
Rahn also received significant support from the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point Action on the final day of the race.
“Many of our campaigns are centered around issues that he and I have cared about for a very long time,” Rahn said on social media.
On the final day of the race, Rahn told reporters he felt “energized.”
He said he was proud to help advance larger conversations around issues such as cancer rates, water quality and the loss of Iowans out of the state.
“I believe we can win the race on June 2,” he said. “But I believe we’ve changed the narrative and I hope that continues. And I’m going to help that continue no matter what.”
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief political reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections, and the Iowa caucuses. Contact us at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her at @brianneDMR on X.
