Overview
- The five-way Republican primary, set for June 2, has devolved into a bare-knuckle contest featuring Randy Feenstra, Zach Lahn, and Adam Steen as the leading rivals.
- Rob Sand is unopposed for the Democratic nomination and reported $9.5 million raised in 2025, outpacing all GOP contenders combined.
- Nonpartisan handicappers now rate the race a toss-up, with Cook shifting Iowa from leans Republican to toss-up in April despite a GOP registration edge of nearly 200,000 voters.
- Iowa lawmakers advanced limits on a governor’s emergency powers in a move widely read as preparation for the possibility that Sand could win.
- Republican fatigue and policy backlash are weighing on the field, with Kim Reynolds’ low approval and anger over school vouchers draining rural public schools and nudging some GOP voters toward Sand.