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Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) has projected Democrat Rob Sand as the winner of the Iowa gubernatorial race, defeating Republican Zach Lahn in the open-seat contest to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Early returns showed Sand with a substantial lead, DDHQ reported him ahead by roughly 23 points (around 61.6% to 38.4%) with about a quarter of the vote counted as of late evening, according to The Hill.
This ends a long stretch of Republican control of the governor’s mansion. The last Democrat elected governor of Iowa was Chet Culver in 2006; he left office in January 2011 after losing re-election to Terry Branstad.
Iowa has not had a Democrat governor for about 16 years, and the state has trended firmly red in recent cycles, including President Trump’s double-digit win there in 2024.
Sand, Iowa’s state auditor and the only Democrat currently holding statewide office, ran as a self-described moderate and outsider who hunts, quotes the Bible, and criticizes both parties. He faced no primary opposition.
Lahn, a first-time candidate, farmer, and businessman aligned with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, won a crowded June GOP primary in an upset over Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.
The Gateway Pundit previously covered that primary victory, noting Lahn’s MAHA backing and “Iowa First” message as he edged Feenstra by about 1,600 votes.
Trump later campaigned for Lahn in the general election, holding a late rally in Iowa as part of his midterm push.
Despite that support and Lahn’s outsider profile emphasizing water quality, cancer rates linked to agricultural practices, family farms, and education, Sand held a consistent polling lead heading into Election Day. Both candidates touched on MAHA themes around health and pollution, but they diverged sharply on other issues.
The Gateway Pundit has previously scrutinized Sand’s “moderate” branding. In one report, Sand pledged to veto “culture war bills,” including efforts to restrict books addressing homosexuality and transgender topics for young children, while criticizing related Republican legislation.
He has also opposed aspects of school choice expansion and floated changes to election systems such as approval voting. Another GP analysis framed him as part of a broader Democrat strategy to present candidates as centrists in red-leaning states while advancing progressive priorities on culture, education, and government power.
BREAKING: Democrat Rob Sand defeats Republican Zach Lahn to become the next governor of Iowa, per DDHQ
it’s been 16 YEARS since a Democrat has been governor of Iowa.
The Senate race in Iowa has still not been called. https://t.co/aU1nnUCij1
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 4, 2026
The post DEMOCRATS FLIP IOWA GOVERNOR’S MANSION! Rob Sand Defeats Republican Zach Lahn, Ending 16 Years of GOP Control appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.