Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) projected Democrat Rob Sand as the winner of Iowa’s open governor’s race over Republican Zach Lahn on Tuesday night, in a contest to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. If the projection holds through certification, it would end a 16-year stretch without a Democrat in Iowa’s governor’s office. The projection and context were reported by The Gateway Pundit, citing DDHQ.
What DDHQ and early returns show
According to The Hill, early returns showed Sand leading roughly 61.6% to 38.4% with about a quarter of the vote counted as of late evening. DDHQ issued its projection with those returns still partial.
Why it matters
The Gateway Pundit noted that the last Democrat elected Iowa governor was Chet Culver in 2006; he left office in January 2011 after losing to Terry Branstad. The outlet also characterized Iowa as having trended red in recent cycles, including what it described as a double-digit win for Donald Trump in the state in 2024.
The candidates and campaign context
The Gateway Pundit described Sand as Iowa’s state auditor and the only Democrat currently holding statewide office. The outlet reported he ran as a self-described moderate and outsider, faced no primary opposition, and in prior coverage said he pledged to veto “culture war bills,” including efforts to restrict books addressing homosexuality and transgender topics for young children. The same outlet said he criticized related Republican legislation, opposed aspects of school choice expansion, and floated changes to election systems such as approval voting.
The Gateway Pundit reported Lahn as a first-time candidate, farmer, and businessman aligned with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. The outlet said he won a crowded June GOP primary in an upset over Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra by about 1,600 votes. It also reported that Trump later campaigned for Lahn in the general election, and that Lahn emphasized issues such as water quality, cancer rates linked to agricultural practices, family farms, and education. According to the outlet, both candidates touched on MAHA themes around health and pollution but diverged sharply on other issues.
What’s still outstanding
Results had not been certified at the time of DDHQ’s projection. Journalist Nick Sortor tweeted that the Senate race in Iowa had not been called, citing DDHQ.
Editor’s note: This report relies on Decision Desk HQ’s projection, early returns cited by The Hill, and contextual details from The Gateway Pundit’s prior coverage. Human approval is required before publication.
