Zach Lahn Beats Trump-Backed Congressman in GOP Primary for Iowa Governor

DES MOINES— Zach Lahn defeated four Republicans, including President Donald Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), to win the GOP primary for Iowa’s gubernatorial race.

Lahn, a self-described farmer and businessman, defeated Feenstra by a razor’s edge with 37.8 percent of the vote to Feenstra’s 37 percent.

Lahn will face off against Democratic nominee Rob Sand, the state auditor of Iowa, in the general election on Nov. 3. Sand was the only Democrat who ran for his party’s nomination.

Iowa has not elected a Democrat for governor in two decades. Cook Political Report ranks the seat as leans Republican.

Feenstra had been endorsed by Trump and was considered the frontrunner by observers, despite signs of growing support for Lahn.

But Feenstra late Tuesday called Lahn to concede the race, locking in an upset that defied the odds leading into election night.

Feenstra told his supporters that while the outcome “wasn’t what we probably wanted,” he indicated that it was time to move forward.

The congressman said he had told Lahn in a phone call to “carry the torch,” offering him a prayer as he continues the campaign.

“I am all in to help him out,” Feenstra said. “Let us never hang our heads.”

Lahn said Tuesday he’s not a politician and that as his own biggest donor, “I have not been bought and I will not be bought.”

“Tonight is just the beginning,” he said. “The fight starts now.”

Polling conducted by Victory Enterprises in April showed Feenstra holding 41 percent of the vote as all of the other Republican contenders remained between 5 percent and 9 percent.

But a poll by JMC Enterprises taken between May 27 and 28 revealed that Lahn had a 3-point lead on Feenstra.

Both polls were conducted with around 500 likely voters, which is a small sample of the state’s 700,000-plus active registered voters in the Republican Party, according to figures from the Secretary of State’s Iowa Field Report released in early April.

Feenstra received a slight edge from Trump when he scored a last-minute “Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Governor of Iowa” just days before the primary election.

“Randy is MAGA all the way!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on May 29.

Trump suggested that if the U.S. congressman were elected, he would support economic growth, tax cuts, and help keep America’s border secure.

Despite Feenstra’s major endorsement, he did not participate in any GOP debates ahead of the primary.

Former director of Iowa’s Department of Administrative Services Adam Steen didn’t shy away from taking jabs at Feenstra’s debate no-shows.

“Catch the debate Tuesday at 7 PM. We wouldn’t want you to miss it — even if Randy did,” Steen wrote in an X post ahead of the final debate.

Feenstra defended his decision not to debate, telling a local station he’d rather talk to the citizens of Iowa one-on-one as opposed to from a stage listening to “rhetoric of other opponents.”

And the U.S. congressman said he would participate in a debate in the general election if he clinched the Republican nomination.

Other Republicans who sought the nomination included Iowa state Rep. Eddie Andrews and former Iowa state Rep. Brad Sherman.

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who currently holds the seat, said in 2025 that she was not seeking reelection because she wants to spend more time with her family.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.