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Governor of Iowa

Statewide — all of Iowa

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Sources re-checked October 19, 2026 · How we research

  • This is an open seat: Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is not seeking a third term. It is the first open governor's race in Iowa since 2006.[1]
  • In the June 2, 2026 Republican primary, businessman and farmer Zach Lahn won the nomination with 37.65% of the vote, ahead of U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who had been endorsed by President Trump. Auditor Rob Sand was the only Democrat to qualify and was unopposed.[1]
  • Libertarian Nicholas Gluba and running mate Jules Cutler were removed from the ballot by the State Objection Panel in June because the panel found Cutler had not filed the required affidavit of candidacy. A Polk County District Court judge upheld the removal in late July, and the Libertarian Party of Iowa chair had said the pair was considering an appeal. They do not appear on the final certified candidate list for the general election.[8][9]

On the ballot · 2 candidates

Zach LahnRFarmer and businessman; co-founder of the Wonder school in Wichita, KansasFull profile →Rob SandDIowa State Auditor (since 2019)Full profile →

Issue evidence — side by side

Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.

Protect legal access to abortion

  • Zach Lahn
    Opposes[2]

    A Kansas Reflector profile reports that he has opposed abortion; his specific position on Iowa's six-week ban was not found in a primary source.

  • Rob Sand
    Supports[5]

    Said he disagreed with the overturning of Roe v. Wade and would veto any bill further restricting abortion access, while saying a governor cannot single-handedly repeal Iowa's six-week ban.

Raise taxes on high earners or corporations

  • Zach Lahn
    Mixed[3][2]

    Says he would tax out-of-state landowners and data centers at higher rates in order to lower property taxes; a Kansas Reflector profile also reports that he has opposed high taxes.

  • Rob Sand
    —

Public funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)

  • Zach Lahn
    Supports[2]

    The same profile reports that he has defended school vouchers.

  • Rob Sand
    —

Research notes & limits

Running mates are noted in each candidate's ballotNote rather than as separate entries. Ballotpedia was not reachable (it blocks automated requests) and the Iowa Secretary of State's statewide general-election list could not be loaded. The two-candidate slate was checked against the Story County Auditor's FINAL certified general-election candidate list (which prints only Sand/Muhlbauer and Lahn/Wulf for governor), Wikipedia, and Iowa Public Radio's report that the Libertarian ticket was removed. Whether the Libertarians pursued a further appeal after the late-July district court ruling was not confirmed, but the final county list does not include them. Lahn's positions come from a news profile rather than his own materials, and a specific position on the six-week abortion ban was not found. Neither candidate has Iowa legislative votes to cite, and no cited source says whether Lahn has held elected office, so that is not stated; Sand's record items are limited to two audit-related items reported by Iowa Public Radio.

Sources · 19

Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.2026 Iowa gubernatorial election · Wikipedia Reference
  2. 2.Zach Lahn's Kansas ties and 'Iowa First' campaign · Kansas Reflector / Iowa Capital Dispatch News report
  3. 3.GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn pitches Iowa-first platform at Dubuque town hall · KCRG · 2026-04-17 News report
  4. 4.Democratic governor candidate Rob Sand warns that Iowa faces 'fiscal time bomb' · Iowa Capital Dispatch · 2026-06-04 News report
  5. 5.Rob Sand says he'd veto abortion limits, end Medicaid privatization at health care roundtable · The Gazette News report
  6. 6.Judicial branch audit finds millions went to wrong state funds due to IT errors · Iowa Public Radio · 2024-12-18 News report
  7. 7.House oversight committee recommends outside audit after judicial branch misallocated $25 million · Iowa Public Radio · 2026-02-25 News report
  8. 8.Libertarian candidates for governor remain off ballot following court ruling · Iowa Public Radio · 2026-07-29 News report
  9. 9.General Election (November 3, 2026) Candidate List, Final · Story County (Iowa) Auditor Official record
  10. 10.2026 Iowa gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  11. 11.Zach Lahn's Kansas ties and 'Iowa First' campaign · Kansas Reflector / Iowa Capital Dispatch News report
  12. 12.GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn pitches Iowa-first platform at Dubuque town hall · KCRG · 2026-04-17 News report
  13. 13.New candidate for Iowa governor: Zach Lahn launches campaign · KCRG · 2025-11-06 News report
  14. 14.Rob Sand · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  15. 15.Democratic governor candidate Rob Sand warns that Iowa faces 'fiscal time bomb' · Iowa Capital Dispatch · 2026-06-04 News report
  16. 16.Rob Sand says he'd veto abortion limits, end Medicaid privatization at health care roundtable · The Gazette News report
  17. 17.Crawford County Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer picked as Rob Sand's gubernatorial running mate · Iowa Capital Dispatch · 2026-06-08 News report
  18. 18.Judicial branch audit finds millions went to wrong state funds due to IT errors · Iowa Public Radio · 2024-12-18 News report
  19. 19.2026 Iowa gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference