Primary
Primary held June 2, 2026.
Democratic Primary
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Sand ✓ | 189,442 | 99.6% |
Republican Primary
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Lahn ✓ | 80,765 | 37.7% | |
| Randy Feenstra | 79,113 | 36.9% | |
| Adam Steen | 31,087 | 14.5% | |
| Brad Sherman | 15,076 | 7.0% | |
| Eddie Andrews | 7,694 | 3.6% |
Full calendar and every race: Iowa primary guide
Race Overview
General Election Polling Trend
PollingSource average — trailing average of all polls from the last 90 days.
Candidates
General Election Polling Average
Average reflects all polls from the last 90 days; table shows the most recent 30 days or the newest 3 polls, whichever is more — subscribe for the full history. How accurate is each pollster? →
| Pollster | Date | Sample | MoE | Dem | Rep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Research (D)/Shaw & Co. Research (R) ±2.3 | 2026-06-27 | 1003 RV | ±3.00 | Rob Sand 53.00% | Zach Lahn 44.00% |
| New York Times/Siena University ±3.1 | 2026-06-27 | 600 LV | ±4.70 | Rob Sand 48.00% | Zach Lahn 47.00% |
| Cygnal (R) partisan·R ±4.2 | 2026-06-19 | 600 LV | ±4.00 | Rob Sand 48.00% | Zach Lahn 43.00% |
Questions About This Race
Who is winning the 2026 Iowa governor's race?
Rob Sand leads Zach Lahn 49.7% to 44.7% in the PollingSource polling average — a D+5.0 margin based on 3 polls from the last 90 days.
Is the 2026 Iowa governor's race competitive?
Yes — the PollingSource polling average rates it Lean D: Democrats are favored, but the race is competitive. Note: our polling average (Lean D) diverges from the expert consensus (Safe R) — that gap makes this a race to watch.
What does the latest poll of the 2026 Iowa governor's race say?
The most recent public poll, from Beacon Research (D)/Shaw & Co. Research (R) (completed June 27, 2026), found Rob Sand (D) at 53% and Zach Lahn (R) at 44%.
When is the 2026 Iowa governor's race decided?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
How is the PollingSource average calculated?
The PollingSource average is the unweighted mean of every scientific public poll of the race from the last 90 days — we do not exclude pollsters. Each race page lists the individual polls behind the average with pollster, field dates, sample size, and margin of error. Full details: pollingsource.com/methodology.
Race Notes
Term-limited, open seat