Democrat Rob Sand, Iowa's state auditor, was elected governor on Tuesday, defeating Republican Zach Lahn for the seat Gov. Kim Reynolds is leaving. The win ends more than a decade of Republican control of the governor's office and both chambers of the Legislature in Iowa.
Unofficial results showed Sand with 57.7% of the vote to Lahn's 42.3%, with 76% of precincts reporting, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported shortly after 10 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Pacific. The count is unofficial until county and state canvasses are complete.
How Sand won
Sand, who holds the office of Iowa auditor of state, launched his campaign in May 2025 and quickly became the Democratic nominee. He ran as a moderate who described himself as independent of party control, while arguing that a decade of one-party rule had brought more corruption and less accountability to state government. It was the first open race for Iowa governor in more than a decade, after Reynolds decided not to seek reelection.
Lahn's campaign
Lahn won a five-way Republican primary in June, beating U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who had President Trump's endorsement. He campaigned on water quality, cancer and "Make America Healthy Again" themes. Sand and other critics focused on Lahn's past residency in Kansas, where he had been a registered voter before registering in Iowa in 2024.
Sand will take office in January. Iowa Democrats also won the state's open U.S. Senate seat, where Josh Turek beat Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson.
