2026 Iowa gubernatorial election

2026 Iowa gubernatorial election

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November 3, 2026
2030 →
Reporting
95%
as of 8:18 AM CST
 
Nominee Rob Sand Zach Lahn
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate Dave Muhlbauer Derek Wulf
Popular vote 757,326 607,415
Percentage 55.5% 44.5%

Sand:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Lahn:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election

Kim Reynolds
Republican

Elected Governor

Rob Sand
Democratic

The 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Iowa. Democratic state auditor Rob Sand won the election against Republican businessman Zach Lahn by a comfortable 11-point margin. Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds did not seek a third term.

Primary elections were held on June 2, 2026. In the Republican primary, Representative Randy Feenstra emerged as the frontrunner after being endorsed by President Donald Trump, but Lahn won the nomination in an upset with 37.65% of the vote. Sand was the only candidate to qualify for the ballot in the Democratic primary.

Leading up to the election, Rob Sand was the only Democrat holding statewide elected office in Iowa, as the state has trended reliably red in recent years. With the incumbent's retirement and Sand's entry, pollsters considered the governor's mansion a potential offensive opportunity for Democrats. Aided by both his personal popularity as well as a national environment that was expected to favor his party, Sand led his opponent in the vast majority of pre-election polling, oftentimes outside the margin of error. Come election night, Rob Sand won, defeating Zach Lahn by a comfortable 11% margin. This was the first open gubernatorial election in Iowa since 2006 and the first to be held at the same time as the open Senate election since 1968. This was the first time since 2006 that Democrats won the governorship in Iowa.

Background

Iowa is considered to be a moderate-to-strong red state, with both chambers of its state legislature controlled by the Republican Party. However, in special elections in 2025, Iowa Republicans lost their supermajority in the Iowa Senate. Republicans still maintain their supermajority in the Iowa House of Representatives that they won in 2024. The last time the Democratic Party won a gubernatorial election in Iowa was in 2006. All four members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa have been Republicans since 2022 and Republicans have won all U.S. Senate elections in Iowa since 2010, making Iowa's congressional delegation entirely Republican. In Presidential Elections, Iowa has voted for Republican President Donald Trump in his nationwide-win in 2016, loss in 2020, and win again in 2024, with Trump's and the Republican Party's vote-share increasing in every subsequent election. Sand, a Democrat, won statewide election in 2022 as state auditor by just 2,893 votes.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Randy Feenstra
Executive branch officials
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Zach Lahn
U.S. representatives
Individuals
Organizations
Brad Sherman
Executive branch officials
State legislators
Adam Steen
State legislators
Individuals
Organizations
Mike Bousselot (declined)
Executive branch officials
Declined to endorse
Statewide officials
Newspapers

Debates

2026 Iowa Republican gubernatorial primary debates
No. Date Host Moderator Link Participants
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Non-invitee   I  Invitee W  Withdrawn
Feenstra Lahn Sherman Steen Andrews
1 April 28, 2026 Iowa PBS Kay Henderson PBS A A P P P
2 May 19, 2026 KCCI Amanda Rooker
Dave Price
KCCI A P P P P

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Eddie
Andrews
Randy
Feenstra
Zach
Lahn
Brad
Sherman
Adam
Steen
Undecided
JMC Analytics (R) May 27–28, 2026 550 (A) ± 4.2% 4% 22% 24% 8% 15% 27%
4% 24% 27% 9% 16% 19%
Victory Enterprises (R) April 14–15, 2026 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 5% 41% 8% 5% 9% 32%

Results

County results
  Lahn
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Feenstra
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Steen
  •   30–40%
  Sherman
  •   30–40%
Congressional district results
  Lahn
  •   30–40%
  Feenstra
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Zach Lahn 80,765 37.7
Republican Randy Feenstra 79,113 36.9
Republican Adam Steen 31,087 14.5
Republican Brad Sherman 15,076 7.0
Republican Eddie Andrews 7,694 3.6
Write-in 794 0.4
Total votes 214,529 100.0

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Disqualified

Endorsements

Rob Sand
Statewide officials
Labor unions
Organizations

Results

Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Rob Sand 189,442 99.6
Write-in 751 0.4
Total votes 190,193 100.0

Libertarian primary

Candidates

On June 2, the Gluba campaign submitted over 8,000 signatures to the Iowa Secretary of State, satisfying the 3,500 signature requirement to qualify for the ballot. However, he later got disqualified from the ballot as he did not follow the proper legal procedures when trying to substitute his running mate.

Disqualified

Independents

Candidates

Did not qualify

  • Sondra Wilson, pre-law student (previously ran as a Democrat)

General election

Campaign

Though originally from Iowa, Zach Lahn faced scrutiny following reporting by The Des Moines Register that he lived in Kansas until 2023, when he allegedly returned to Iowa. Lahn registered to vote in Iowa on October 17, 2024, ahead of the 2024 election. The newspaper later reported that flight records indicated Lahn spent 75 nights in Wichita, Kansas, between October 2025 and spring 2026, frequently traveling there by private plane. Lahn said the trips were related to custody arrangements involving his children, who live in Kansas.

Sand campaigning in Tama County.

Rob Sand criticized Lahn as a "part-time Iowan" and a carpetbagger, arguing that his frequent travel to Kansas conflicted with his "Iowa First" campaign message. Sand, meanwhile, has faced criticism from Governor Kim Reynolds and other state Republicans, who have accused him of using high-profile audits and allegations of fraud to bolster his political profile.

In early September, The Des Moines Register reported that the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office was investigating Lahn's running mate, Wulf, for theft and fraud in relation to accusations that Wulf had misled lenders and business associates about his finances.

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report Lean D (flip) October 29, 2026
Decision Desk HQ Lean D (flip) November 2, 2026
Fox News Lean D (flip) November 1, 2026
Inside Elections Lean D (flip) October 29, 2026
NBC News Lean D (flip) November 2, 2026
RealClearPolitics Lean D (flip) November 1, 2026
Sabato's Crystal Ball Lean D (flip) November 2, 2026
Silver Bulletin Likely D (flip) November 2, 2026

Post-primary endorsements

Zach Lahn (R)
Executive branch officials
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Individuals
Organizations
Political parties
Rob Sand (D)
Executive branch officials
U.S. senators
Statewide officials
State legislators
Local officials
Individuals
Labor unions
Newspapers
Political parties
Declined to endorse
Organizations

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of July 14, 2026
Candidate Raised Spent
Zach Lahn (R) $1,218,702 $3,060,944
Rob Sand (D) $19,860,206 $19,860,206
Source: Transparency USA

Debates

2026 Iowa gubernatorial election debates
No. Date Host Moderators Link Participants
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Non-invitee   I  Invitee   W  Withdrawn
Rob Sand Zach Lahn
1 October 6, 2026 KWQC and St. Ambrose University William Ingalls, Marcia Lense and Matt Christensen KCRG P P
2 October 14, 2026 KTIV Matt Breen, Dave Price and Justin Rust KTIV P P
3 October 21, 2026 Iowa PBS Kay Henderson Iowa PBS W W
4 October 27, 2026 KCRG and The Gazette Unknown KCRG P P

Polling

Aggregate polls

Source of poll
aggregation
Dates
administered
Dates
updated
Zach
Lahn (R)
Rob
Sand (D)
Other/
Undecided
Margin
270toWin October 8 – November 1, 2026 November 2, 2026 44.6% 51.6% 3.8% Sand +7.0%
Decision Desk HQ through November 1, 2026 November 2, 2026 45.1% 51.3% 3.6% Sand +6.2%
FiftyPlusOne through November 2, 2026 November 2, 2026 44.3% 52.0% 3.7% Sand +7.7%
RealClearPolitics October 8 – November 1, 2026 November 2, 2026 44.4% 51.9% 3.7% Sand +7.5%
Silver Bulletin through November 1, 2026 November 2, 2026 44.5% 51.8% 3.7% Sand +7.3%
Average 44.6% 51.7% 3.7% Sand +7.1%
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Zach
Lahn (R)
Rob
Sand (D)
Other Undecided
AtlasIntel October 28 – November 1, 2026 1,219 (LV) ± 3.0% 44% 54% 2% 0%
New York Times/Siena University October 26 – November 1, 2026 705 (LV) ± 4.7% 43% 51% 0% 6%
Rasmussen Reports (R) October 27–31, 2026 901 (LV) ± 3.0% 45% 50% 0% 5%
YouGov October 26–29, 2026 2,020 (LV) ± 3.1% 46% 53% 0% 0%
co/efficient (R) October 28, 2026 1,020 (LV) ± 3.1% 45% 50% — 5%
Echelon Insights (R) October 16–23, 2026 403 (LV) ± 6.5% 46% 50% — 3%
co/efficient (R) October 15–19, 2026 678 (LV) ± 3.3% 45% 49% — 6%
GS Strategy Group (R)/
New River Strategies (D)
October 9–13, 2026 602 (LV) — 43% 54% — 3%
NPA Polling October 8–12, 2026 678 (LV) ± 3.8% 45% 50% — 5%
YouGov October 6–12, 2026 2,245 (LV) ± 3.1% 44% 50% — 6%
Marist University October 8–11, 2026 — (LV) ± 6.6% 45% 52% 2% 2%
1,100 (RV) ± 4.5% 43% 54% 1% 2%
Emerson College October 5–6, 2026 650 (LV) ± 3.8% 45% 49% 2% 6%
SSRS September 29 – October 5, 2026 801 (LV) ± 4.2% 42% 51% 7% —
Suffolk University October 1–4, 2026 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 43% 55% — 2%
New York Times/Siena University September 22 – October 1, 2026 606 (LV) ± 4.6% 41% 52% — 7%
Beacon Research (D)/
Shaw & Co. Research (R)
September 24–28, 2026 1,008 (LV) ± 3.0% 44% 53% — 3%
1,204 (RV) ± 2.5% 43% 53% 1% 3%
Marist University September 17–20, 2026 1,050 (RV) ± 4.4% 42% 54% 2% 2%
co/efficient (R) September 14–16, 2026 831 (LV) ± 3.4% 42% 46% – 12%
Cygnal (R) September 9–11, 2026 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 44% 48% — 8%
YouGov September 3–8, 2026 2,169 (RV) ± 3.5% 39% 50% 1% 10%
2,041 (LV) ± 3.5% 41% 51% — 8%
Emerson College August 31 – September 1, 2026 750 (LV) ± 3.6% 46% 49% — 6%
Suffolk University August 20–23, 2026 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 44% 48% — 8%
Emerson College August 2–4, 2026 712 (LV) ± 3.7% 43% 48% 2% 7%
Beacon Research (D)/
Shaw & Co. Research (R)
June 23–27, 2026 1,003 (RV) ± 3.0% 44% 53% — 3%
New York Times/
Siena University
June 15–27, 2026 600 (LV) ± 4.7% 47% 48% — 5%
Cygnal (R) June 16–19, 2026 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 43% 48% — 9%
Hypothetical polling

Randy Feenstra vs. Rob Sand

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Randy
Feenstra (R)
Rob
Sand (D)
Undecided
Echelon Insights April 3–9, 2026 377 (LV) ± 6.6% 39% 51% 10%
GBAO (D) March 10–16, 2026 1,200 (LV) ± 2.8% 42% 50% 8%
Z to A Research (D) October 9–13, 2025 1,351 (LV) ± 2.7% 43% 45% 12%

Results

2026 Iowa gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic 757,326 55.5% +16.5%
Republican
607,415 44.5% −13.5%
Write-in
Total votes 1,364,741 100.0

Analysis

Exit poll

2026 Iowa gubernatorial election (CNN)
Demographic subgroup Sand Lahn % of
total vote
Ideology
Liberals 98 2 22
Moderates 74 26 39
Conservatives 13 86 39
Party
Democrats 98 2 28
Republicans 14 86 37
Independents 65 34 35
Donald Trump job approval
Approve 9 91 41
Disapprove 89 10 57
2024 presidential vote
Kamala Harris 98 2 42
Donald Trump 16 83 49
Another candidate 74 20 2
Did not vote 75 25 5
Gender
Men 49 50 48
Women 60 39 51
Income
$100,000 or more 56 44 38
$50,000-$99,999 53 47 34
Less than $50,000 59 41 27
Race/ethnicity
White 54 45 91
Latino 65 34 3
White born-again or evangelical Christian?
Yes 25 75 24
No 65 34 76
Race by gender
White men 48 51 44
White women 59 40 46
All other voters 62 36 9
Age
18–29 years old 72 28 11
30–44 years old 59 40 20
45-64 years old 50 49 34
65 and older 53 47 36
Area type
Urban 71 28 16
Suburban 64 36 28
Rural 47 53 55
Education
College graduate 62 38 38
No college degree 51 48 62
Education by race
White college graduates 62 38 35
Non-white college graduates 67 32 3
Whites without college 50 50 56
Non-whites without college 64 36 6
Education by gender and race
White women with college degrees 66 34 19
White women without college degrees 55 44 27
White men with college degrees 56 43 16
White men without college degrees 44 55 28
Voters of color 65 34 10
Educational attainment
Advanced degree 70 30 13
Bachelor's degree 58 42 24
Associate's degree 49 50 16
Some college 51 48 19
Never attended college 53 46 27

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. ↑ Rob Sand withdrew from the scheduled debate following the death of his brother-in-law. The debate is set to be re-scheduled to a later date.
  3. ↑ Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other candidates combined.
  4. ↑ "Another party's candidate" with 1%; "No response" with 1%
  5. ↑ ”Another party’s candidate” with 1%
  6. ↑ Thomas Laehn (L) with 2%
  7. ↑ "Neither" with 5%; "Other" with 2%
  8. ↑ "I will not vote in this race" with 1%
  9. ↑ "Someone else" with 2%

Partisan and media clients

  1. ↑ Poll sponsored by Feenstra's campaign
  2. ↑ Poll conducted for NetChoice
  3. ↑ Poll sponsored by The Cook Political Report.
  4. ↑ Poll sponsored by Nexstar Media Group
  5. ↑ Poll conducted for CNN
  6. 1 2 Poll conducted for Fox News
  7. 1 2 Poll sponsored by the Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation
  8. ↑ Poll sponsored by Josh Turek's campaign, who is a Democratic candidate in the Iowa U.S. Senate election

References

  1. ↑ Bosman, Julie (November 3, 2026). "Rob Sand Is Elected Iowa Governor, Ending Republicans' Hold on the Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  2. ↑ "State of Iowa Election Calendar 2026" (PDF). Secretary of State of Iowa. January 1, 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2026. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Could Iowa Democrats Win 2026's Gubernatorial and US Senate Races?". Smart Politics. June 3, 2026. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Democrat Rob Sand wins Iowa governor's race, ending GOP control of the office". Houston Public Media. November 4, 2026. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Democrat Renee Hardman wins Iowa state Senate seat, blocking GOP from reclaiming supermajority". PBS. December 31, 2025. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  6. ↑ "GOP at risk of significant state legislative losses, Post analysis finds". Washington Post. October 6, 2026. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  7. ↑ McCue, Dan. "Des Moines Register Poll Reconfirms Iowa's Shift From Swing to Red State". Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Democrat Rob Sand wins state auditor's race, Todd Halbur concedes". Daily Iowan. November 19, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ Allen, Jonathan (June 2, 2026). "MAHA-backed Zach Lahn defeats Trump-backed Randy Feenstra in Iowa GOP primary for governor". NBC News.
  10. ↑ Carpenter, Tim (May 29, 2026). "Co-founder of Wichita private school contending for Iowa GOP's gubernatorial nomination". Kansas Reflector. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  11. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (May 14, 2026). "GOP governor candidate Lahn frequently flies to second house in Kansas". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  12. ↑ Opsahl, Robin (June 12, 2026). "Iowa Rep. Derek Wulf tapped to join GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn's campaign as running mate". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  13. ↑ Sostaric, Katarina (June 5, 2025). "Republican state Rep. Eddie Andrews launches campaign for Iowa governor". Iowa Public Radio.
  14. ↑ Fortinsky, Sarah (October 28, 2025). "Rep. Randy Feenstra formally launches Iowa governor bid". The Hill. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  15. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (February 17, 2025). "Former Republican state representative to challenge Kim Reynolds for Iowa governor seat". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  16. ↑ Hoff, Maya Marchel (August 28, 2025). "'I'm the faith guy': Former Iowa DAS head Adam Steen launches gubernatorial bid". The Gazette. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  17. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (July 2, 2025). "Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird won't run for governor in 2026". Des Moines Register. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  18. ↑ Opsahl, Robin (November 19, 2025). "Iowa Sen. Mike Bousselot announces he will run for reelection, not governor". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  19. ↑ Obradovich, Kathie (August 14, 2026). "State Sen. Mike Bousselot ends 2026 campaign". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  20. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (April 28, 2025). "Iowa Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer files paperwork to run for state auditor in 2026". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "Feenstra garners endorsements from fellow Republicans ahead of gubernatorial race". KCCI. July 8, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Pat Grassley, Iowa House Speaker, to run again, highlighting commitment to constituents". KGAN. June 27, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2025. Rep. Grassley had previously said he was considering a run for governor
  23. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (April 29, 2025). "Republican US Rep. Ashley Hinson rules out running for Iowa governor in 2026". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  24. ↑ Richards, Zoë (September 2, 2025). "GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson announces Senate bid for open Iowa seat". NBC News. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  25. ↑ Tallal, Skylar (July 14, 2025). "Iowa House GOP sets leadership election date, Rep. Kaufmann vying for the position". KGAN. Retrieved July 14, 2025. GOP State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann said he couldn't pass up the opportunity to run for [majority leader]. He originally was strongly considering a run for governor but said a statewide position isn't in the cards
  26. ↑ Martin, Sabine (April 17, 2025). "Is Kari Lake returning to Iowa to run for political office? What she said". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks will not run for governor in 2026". KCRG-TV. April 15, 2025. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
  28. ↑ Wilde, Wendy; Snover, JD; Burnett, Claire (June 2, 2025). "Iowa Congresswoman Says She Will Run for Re-Election in 2026". WHO. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Naig announces re-election campaign for agriculture secretary, will not run for Iowa governor". KCCI. May 20, 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  30. 1 2 Baccari, Ray (May 21, 2026). "Iowa secretary of agriculture endorses Feenstra in gubernatorial race". KGAN. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  31. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (July 11, 2025). "Zach Nunn to run for reelection to Congress, not Iowa governor - after talking to Trump". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  32. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (April 11, 2025). "Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announces she will not seek reelection to another term". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  33. 1 2 "Reynolds says she won't endorse a GOP candidate for governor before Primary". Radio Iowa. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  34. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (July 9, 2025). "Bob Vander Plaats warns Iowa Republicans that Rob Sand is 'compelling' governor candidate". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved August 29, 2025. Vander Plaats waved off any suggestion he might be compelled to seek the nomination himself. 'I'm not running,' he said.
  35. 1 2 3 Rooker, Amanda (March 7, 2026). "Adam Steen pitches business background and conservative views in run for Iowa governor". KCCI. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
  36. 1 2 "Branstad: I'm endorsing Randy Feenstra for governor". The Gazette. March 17, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  37. 1 2 "Iowa Sen. Mike Bousselot launching exploratory campaign for 2026 governor's race". KCCI. April 21, 2025. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  38. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (May 29, 2026). "Donald Trump endorses Randy Feenstra for governor in Iowa primary". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Campaign Almanac: Iowa construction union backs Summit pipeline, Senate GOP eminent domain bill". The Gazette. January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Campaign Almanac: Naig will seek re-election as ag secretary, not run for Iowa governor". The Gazette. May 20, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Feenstra announces 1st endorsement in his gubernatorial bid". The Gazette. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 "Campaign Almanac: State lawmakers endorse Feenstra for Iowa governor". The Gazette. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  43. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne. "Steve King endorses Zach Lahn in Iowa governor's race". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  44. ↑ Barton, Tom (May 6, 2026). "Former SNL cast member headed to Iowa to campaign for Zach Lahn". The Gazette. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  45. ↑ Goldman, Maya (December 8, 2025). "MAHA group begins state election endorsements". Axios. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  46. ↑ Stahl, Jay (June 4, 2026). "Steak 'n Shake scores MAHA win in beef with Trump-backed congressman". USA Today.
  47. ↑ "Turning Point Action endorses Zach Lahn for Iowa Governor". CBS2Iowa.com. May 29, 2026. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  48. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Barton, Tom (April 16, 2025). "Now that Kim Reynolds won't seek re-election, which Republicans are eyeing a run for Iowa governor?". The Gazette. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  49. ↑ "State Rep. Dean Fisher endorses Adam Steen for Iowa governor". Daily Nonpareil. December 24, 2025. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  50. ↑ "State Sen. Charlie McClintock endorses Steen for governor". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  51. ↑ "Iowa GOP congressional, governor hopefuls notch new endorsements". The Gazette. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  52. ↑ "North Iowa legislator endorses Adam Steen for governor". Courier. February 28, 2026. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  53. ↑ "Iowa governor candidate Adam Steen picks up endorsement for Dan Gable". KGAN. May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  54. ↑ Warren, Isabella (March 17, 2026). "Family Leader endorses Adam Steen in Iowa governor's race". KCRG. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  55. ↑ "Republican candidates fail to show they'd lead all of Iowa | Opinion". Des Moines Register. May 24, 2026. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  56. ↑ "Iowa primaries: Republican candidates for governor debate water quality, cancer rates". KCCI. May 9, 2026. Retrieved May 20, 2026 – via KCCI.
  57. ↑ "Iowa Statewide GOP Primary Republican Primary Election" (PDF). JMC Analytics and Polling. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Survey: Feenstra Holds Commanding Lead For Republican Nomination For Governor". KIWA (AM). April 17, 2026. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  59. 1 2 "2026 Primary Election - June 2, 2026". Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  60. ↑ Tallal, Skylar (May 12, 2025). "Iowa Auditor Rob Sand announces 2026 gubernatorial run". KGAN. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  61. 1 2 "Rob Sand picks western Iowa county supervisor as running mate". KCCI. June 8, 2026.
  62. ↑ "Democrat Julie Stauch exits race for Iowa governor after petition issues". KCCI. March 14, 2026. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  63. ↑ Boys, Seth (May 14, 2025). "Rob Sand enters race for Iowa governor". Decorah Leader. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  64. ↑ Nelson, Trish (December 9, 2025). "AFSCME To Endorse Rob Sand For Iowa Governor". Blog For Iowa. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  65. ↑ Robinson, Tom (November 3, 2025). "Iowa Federation Of Labor Endorsing Rob Sand For Governor". Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  66. ↑ Werner, Kyle. "Rob Sand speaks to hundreds of Iowa educators, earns ISEA support". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  67. ↑ "Rob Sand Endorsement". Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  68. ↑ Lang, Tommy (August 28, 2025). "Rob Sand picks up big endorsement from health care sector". KCJJ. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  69. ↑ Lee-Gazette Des Moines Bureau (November 7, 2025). "Union group UAW endorses Democrat Rob Sand for Iowa governor". Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  70. ↑ "Endorsements - Defend The Vote". Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  71. ↑ "End Citizens United Endorses Rob Sand for Iowa Governor". admin.endcitizensunited.org. May 22, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  72. 1 2 IOWA, LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF (June 5, 2026). "Nicholas Gluba Secures Ballot Access for Iowa Governor Race". Community Newspaper Group. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
  73. 1 2 Meiss, Veronica (August 28, 2026). "Iowa Libertarians lose lawsuit to replace governor, Congress candidates on November ballot". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
  74. ↑ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (July 28, 2025). "2026 Iowa governor's race: Who's in, who's out and who's on the fence". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 5, 2025. Ames resident and Iowa State University student Sondra Wilson has filed paperwork with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board to run for governor as a no-party candidate in 2026.
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