Rob Sand Wins Iowa Governor Election 2026, Ending Decade of Republican Control
State Auditor Rob Sand secured a victory in Tuesday’s general election, defeating Republican Zach Lahn to become Iowa’s 44th governor. The Associated Press called the race for Sand shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State showed Sand capturing 56 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Lahn, with 93 percent of the state’s precincts reporting. Sand will be sworn into office on January 12, marking a political shift as Iowa’s first Democratic governor since Chet Culver from 2007 to 2010.
The race represented Iowa’s first open-seat gubernatorial election in 20 years. Republican incumbent Governor Kim Reynolds, who has held the office since 2017, did not seek re-election. For 10 years, Iowa Republicans had full control of the state lawmaking process, with a Republican governor and Republican-majority Legislature. Sand’s victory gives Iowa divided state government: the Democratic governor will be working with Republican majorities in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature.
Campaigning Across Party Lines in Des Moines
Speaking to supporters at the Iowa Democrats’ election night headquarters in Des Moines’ East Village, Sand emphasized a shift away from hyper-partisan rhetoric. Throughout a campaign that lasted for the better part of two years, the Democratic state auditor campaigned on a distaste for the country’s two-party political system. On election night, he reiterated that message to the crowd.
We gave Iowans a place to bring their concerns, their complaints, and their ideas to improve our state. We rejected the idea that you have to hate your neighbor just because they vote differently than you,
Sand said. Now it’s going to take all of us working together from all political persuasions to address the issues that our state faces.
Serving as Iowa’s upcoming lieutenant governor will be Dave Muhlbauer, a Crawford County supervisor and farmer hailing from Manilla who also acted as Sand’s running mate. Sand is 44 years old and Muhlbauer 42. Major national election forecasters had previously classified the open-seat contest in Iowa as either “tilting” or “leaning” toward Sand, the Democratic contender, while campaign polls consistently indicated he held an edge that regularly exceeded the margin of error. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, head of the Democratic Governors Association, campaigned with Sand multiple times, including Monday.
Zach Lahn Wins Primary Election After Focusing on Cancer and Water Quality
Tuesday night brought the conclusion of an unconventional Republican campaign for 40-year-old venture firm business owner Zach Lahn of Belle Plaine, which culminated in a surprising primary win last June over incumbent western Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra. Lahn’s platform heavily centered on tackling Iowa’s elevated cancer rates alongside declining water quality, openly addressing potential connections between the two issues, such as the application of agricultural chemicals and pesticides.
Addressing supporters at the Republican Party of Iowa’s downtown Des Moines headquarters, Lahn struck a different tone regarding the future of the state. The fight right now is saying the fight is just beginning right now,
Lahn told the crowd, concluding his remarks with a signal for the future: To the people of Iowa, we’ll see you in four years.
Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann echoed that sentiment in a statement released late Tuesday, warning that Sand would face resistance if he attempts to enact certain policies. Kaufmann emphasized that the election results do not give Sand a blank check.
If he pursues the outrageous policies Democrats have been pushing, Republicans in the Legislature must stand firm and fight back every step of the way. We will have their backs,
Kaufmann stated.
As January approaches, Sand prepares to transition to governor. The central question for the upcoming legislative session remains whether a Democratic governor and a Republican-led legislature can find common ground on issues such as corruption, costs, and Iowa’s cancer crisis.
