Iowa Governor 2026

Election day is November 3, 2026. A statewide contest in Iowa.

Who is favoured in Iowa Governor?

Run the forecaster to pull current reporting on this race, score it issue by issue, and see who it favours.

About this race

The 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Iowa. Republican businessman Zach Lahn and Democratic state auditor Rob Sand are the nominees for their respective parties. Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds is not seeking a third term.

Primary elections were held on June 2, 2026. In the Republican primary, congressman 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.

This is 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. The 2006 gubernatorial election is the most recent won by Democrats in Iowa.

Latest coverage of the Iowa Governor race

'All eyes are on Iowa this year' as Democrats hope to turn red seats blueABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos · 06 Aug 2026Wilson wins GOP nomination for South Carolina governor after Trump hedges his bet on racePBS · 23 Jun 2026Iowa 2026 Poll: Sand Has an Edge in Governor’s Race; Hinson Holds Narrow Senate Advantageemersoncollegepolling.com · 06 Aug 2026Republicans call for unified support for governor nominee Zach Lahn at state conventionIowa Capital Dispatch · 13 Jun 2026Governor Races in 2 Republican-Led States Are Tight, Polls ShowThe New York Times · 01 Jul 2026Donald Trump endorses Republican Zach Lahn in Iowa governor's racedesmoinesregister.com · 10 Jul 2026Results from the June 2nd Primaries in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South DakotaCAWP · 16 Jun 2026Iowa Democrats say they’ll consider fate of ’28 caucuses after midterm electionsIowa Capital Dispatch · 24 Jul 2026

Other 2026 races in Iowa