Government Relations Update - 6.3.26

Iowa’s Primary Election was held yesterday, June 2, featuring several closely watched contests, including multiple open-seat races and challenges to incumbent legislators.

Zach Lahn wins GOP Gubernatorial Primary

At the top of the ticket, five Republican candidates competed for their party’s nomination for governor. The race intensified in the final days before the election as key endorsements sought to reshape the political landscape. Congressman Randy Feenstra received an endorsement from President Trump last Friday, while Turning Point Action announced its support for businessman Zach Lahn that same day.

In the closest race of the evening, Lahn secured the nomination with 37.7% of the vote, narrowly defeating Feenstra who finished with 36.9%. The remaining candidates finished as follows: Adam Steen (14.5%), Brad Sherman (7.0%), and Eddie Andrews (3.6%) .

With the primary win, Lahn advances to the general election, where he will face State Auditor Rob Sand, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Iowa voters will make their final decision on Tuesday, November 3, just 153 days from today.

Senate Race is Set

Another closely watched contest of the primary season was the Democratic race for U.S. Senate. State Representative Josh Turek secured the nomination with a decisive victory over State Senator Zach Wahls, earning more than 62% of the vote compared to Wahls’ 37%.

The seat is open following Senator Joni Ernst’s September 2, 2025, announcement that she would not seek re-election. On the Republican side, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson won her party’s nomination with nearly 74% of the vote, defeating former State Senator Jim Carlin, who received approximately 26%.

The November's general election will now feature a high-profile matchup between Turek and Hinson for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat. With control of the U.S. Senate expected to be closely contested in 2026, the race is likely to draw significant national attention and substantial campaign resources from both parties. As one of the few competitive open-seat contests in the country, Iowa could play a pivotal role in determining which party holds the Senate majority.

Congressional Matchups Are Set

In Iowa’s First Congressional District, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks secured renomination with 71% of the vote, defeating challenger David Pautsch. She will once again face Democrat Christina Bohannan, who won her primary with 82% of the vote. The two are well-acquainted political opponents, as Miller-Meeks has defeated Bohannan in each of the last two election cycles.

In the Second Congressional District, former State Representative Joe Mitchell won the Republican nomination with 61% of the vote, defeating State Senator Charlie McClintock with 38.4% of the vote. Mitchell will face Democrat Lindsay James, who emerged victorious from a competitive three-way primary with 57.1% of the vote.

In the Third Congressional District, Congressman Zach Nunn will face Democratic nominee Sarah Trone Garriott, both advancing unopposed through the primary.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Congressional District will feature a contest between Republican Chris McGowan, who ran unopposed, and Democrat Dave Dawson, who won his three-way primary with 39.0% of the vote. The seat became open following Congressman Randy Feenstra’s decision to run for governor.

State Legislative Races Take Shape

With 35 primary contests for state legislative seats, Iowa voters weighed in on a number of competitive races. Most notably, three incumbent House members were defeated in their respective primaries: Republican Representatives Jane Bloomingdale and Brian Lohse, and Democratic Representative Ken Croken. In contrast, all incumbent state senators facing primary challengers successfully secured renomination.

Looking ahead to the November general election, 25 of Iowa's 50 Senate seats will be on the ballot. Of the 25 seats not up for election this cycle, Republicans currently hold 19, providing the party with a significant foundation as they seek to maintain their majority in the chamber.

All 100 seats in the Iowa House will be on the ballot this November. As of this update, Republicans have 17 candidates running without Democratic opposition, while Democrats have 24 candidates who will face no Republican challenger. These uncontested races provide each party with a number of seats that are effectively decided before Election Day, allowing campaign resources and strategy to be concentrated on a smaller number of competitive districts that will determine the chamber balance.

 2026 Primary Results

GOP Governor

State Auditor - Republican

Congress - GOP Senate Democrats

Congress - GOP Senate Republicans

Congress - House of Representative Democrats

Congress - House of Representative Republicans

State Senate Republicans

State Senate Democrats

State House Republicans

State House Democrats