Iowa GOP – U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra and businessman Zach Lahn are entering Iowa’s 2026 GOP governor primary with public confidence but rising friction—negative TV attacks, last-minute endorsements, tight delegate rules, and polling that shows Lahn gaining ground. The Jun
For the third straight day of final messaging before Iowa’s GOP governor primary, the question at the center of every conversation wasn’t just who should lead the state—it was whether there will be enough votes to decide the nomination on Tuesday morning, June 2.
At a West Des Moines poolside gathering, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra promised to build on the foundations laid by former Iowa governors Terry Branstad and Kim Reynolds. telling supporters he would “take this state to new heights.” Down the road. in the basement of a Newton events venue. businessman Zach Lahn urged his backers to “fight for the next generation against the special interests that seek to exploit or extract” from Iowans.
Both men say they expect to win the nomination outright. But the race’s final stretch has grown louder and more negative, fueled by dueling TV ads and momentum signals that have some Republicans watching the possibility of a convention decision.
Feenstra and Lahn are expected to lead a five-person Republican primary that also includes state Rep. Eddie Andrews, former state Rep. Brad Sherman, and former state administrator Adam Steen. All five candidates have been crisscrossing the state and sharing their journeys in flurries of social media posts and media interviews.
Early voting has been ongoing, and Election Day polls open Tuesday, June 2 at 7 a.m. local time. Under the rules of the primary, one candidate must earn 35% of the vote to win the nomination outright. If nobody reaches that benchmark, grassroots delegates at a statewide convention will decide the nomination.
Feenstra says he expects to clear the bar
Feenstra entered the contest as the presumed favorite. leaning on high-profile endorsements. millions of dollars in fundraising. and more name recognition than his competitors. But as Election Day approaches. he has struggled to consolidate support—especially among MAGA-aligned grassroots Republicans who view him with skepticism.
He’s also drawn criticism from supporters who said he hasn’t debated his opponents or appeared at most multi-candidate forums.
Even so, Feenstra has said he believes he’ll win the nomination outright on Election Day.
Former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad—who endorsed Feenstra—told the Des Moines Register that he is hopeful Feenstra can reach the 35% threshold, but warned there is no guarantee with five candidates.
“Lahn has momentum, and the numbers can flip,” the race suggests through recent shifts, even as Feenstra maintains he can close it out.
Lahn says “we’re winning”
Lahn, whose campaign messaging has turned increasingly combative, also says he expects to win the primary outright. Speaking to reporters, he said he believes “we have a shot to win the primary outright. I absolutely do.” He added that he and his team are “looking at data” and said he believes the attacks he’s been enduring are happening “because we’re winning.”.
The negative tone has arrived in the crucial final days, with both campaigns staking their closing arguments on contrast—who is aligned with voters and who is aligned with special interests.
The ad war turns personal
The Feenstra campaign began running an ad targeting Lahn over his investment in a men’s sexual health company. Lahn said he invested $1 million into the company in its early stages while it was building medical technology. but stepped away from the board of directors before it began marketing a line of pleasure products.
Lahn dismissed the ad as “typical politics,” describing it as evidence that his campaign is surging.
The counterpunch has come from a super PAC: Right America Inc. has begun airing TV ads attacking Feenstra on immigration. The ads target Feenstra for work reaching out to the Hispanic community while he served as Hull City administrator. In a news article from the time. Feenstra said the city would not be checking the immigration status of participants in a community conversation.
Feenstra called the ads “disingenuous” and said he has worked with President Donald Trump to “shut the border down, and we deported illegals.”
Lahn, for his part, said the group and the ad was “not at all” associated with his campaign.
Fundraising and polling show movement toward Lahn
The sharp turn in rhetoric has been paired with signs that Lahn could be gaining momentum.
According to the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board, Lahn outraised Feenstra in both of the two most recent fundraising periods. A poll released by JMC Analytics and Polling conducted May 27-28 found Lahn leading Feenstra 27% to 24%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.18%.
That poll contrasts with a previous primary-field poll conducted April 14-15 by Victory Enterprises. an Iowa-based Republican consulting firm associated with Feenstra’s campaign. That earlier poll found the congressman led the GOP field with 41% of the vote. with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
Those figures land in a race where the rules matter: if no candidate clears 35%, the nomination could shift away from voters and toward grassroots delegates at a statewide convention.
Trump’s late endorsement lands with force
The final scramble has included endorsements that have arrived late enough to change how campaigns try to interpret the last stretch of the electorate.
Trump had been staying neutral in Iowa’s gubernatorial primary, but got off the sidelines and issued a long-awaited endorsement of Feenstra on Friday, May 29. The Feenstra campaign immediately began blasting the endorsement in a quickly cut TV ad.
For some anti-Feenstra activists, the move became a symbol of Republican establishment influence meant to blunt Lahn’s momentum. The campaign’s supporters saw it as a potential lift for late-deciding voters who are only now tuning into the race.
Even after that, conservative commentator Steve Deace—who had previously endorsed Steen for governor—came out in support of Lahn the next day. Deace filmed a video that was texted to voters on May 30, urging them to support Lahn.
“If you want to stop Randy Feenstra from handing our state over to Rob Sand. then you need to vote for Zach Lahn on Tuesday. ” Deace said in the video. “Zach is the only candidate with the momentum and the possibility of beating Randy Feenstra. so that Randy Feenstra doesn’t hand our state over to Rob Sand to turn Iowa into the next Minnesota.”.
Deace later clarified on social media that he is still voting for Steen. “I thought (Steen) was the most prepared to be governor,” he wrote in a post on X. “Unfortunately, as a candidate, he just never took off.”
Money games and the last filings
The contest’s pressure is also visible in the final campaign finance disclosures required before the primary on Friday, May 29.
Feenstra has spent down his campaign war chest over the course of the primary race. leaving less than $150. 000 in his bank account as of the May 29 filing. It reflects how he has had to defend his frontrunner position, particularly as the primary has remained relatively rocky. Feenstra dismissed the idea that the primary has been a bigger slog than he anticipated.
“You know what, this is Iowa. This is awesome,” Feenstra said. “We’re all civically engaged. That’s a great thing.”
The disclosures cover a much shorter window than previous reports, disclosing fundraising and spending during just the 12 days beginning May 15.
Lahn raised about $60,000 during that period and gave himself a $500,000 loan, bringing the total he’s given his campaign to $2.5 million over the course of the election cycle. Feenstra raised about $38,500 during the most recent disclosure period.
That marks the second fundraising period in a row when contributions to Feenstra have fallen short of those made to Lahn. Lahn also spent more than Feenstra as he looks to close ground with the presumed frontrunner. putting about $633. 000 into the race compared to Feenstra’s roughly $476. 000 in spending.
Underneath the numbers sits one central deadline—whether Feenstra can reach 35% early enough to avoid a convention where the nomination could be reshaped by delegates rather than the final vote totals.
A pair of closing pitches
Feenstra’s final message before the primary included a stop at an event hosted by West Des Moines Mayor Russ Trimble, with Branstad, numerous legislators, lobbyists, and local elected officials in attendance.
Feenstra joked there were so many elected officials that “maybe we should talk property taxes for a while. what do you think?” He touted his work in Congress helping to draft tax cuts included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. including agricultural provisions and others that he said will “dramatically affect our state.”.
“Every day I thought about, what can I do for Iowa?” he said.
In his closing argument, Feenstra said it’s important to defeat Sand. After the event, he told reporters he looks forward to debating Sand in the general election.
“I’ll do it anywhere, anyplace,” Feenstra said. “Wherever he wants to do it, I’ll debate.”
Lahn’s closing pitch emphasized conflict with large companies and monopolies. In Newton, he portrayed himself as a candidate willing to take on big corporations and defend Iowans.
“We have a very rich history in our state of people going into public office to defend the people against the special interests,” he said. “And that is what my campaign is all about. To give our people a voice again.”
In the final days of the race, Lahn also secured an endorsement from the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point Action. Lahn said on social media that much of his campaign is centered around issues Kirk and he both cared about for a very long time.
Lahn told reporters he feels “energized” in the final stretch. He said he is proud to have helped drive a larger conversation around cancer rates, water quality, and Iowans leaving the state. He argued that June 2 could deliver victory.
“I believe that on June 2 we can come out victorious in the race,” he said. “But also, I believe that we’ve changed the narrative, and I hope that lasts. And I’m going to be involved in helping that last no matter what.”
As polls tighten, the biggest suspense may be less about who wants the nomination than whether the vote will be decisive enough to crown a winner outright—before Iowa’s delegates get a chance to decide the outcome at a statewide convention.
Iowa GOP governor primary Randy Feenstra Zach Lahn Terry Branstad Kim Reynolds Eddie Andrews Brad Sherman Adam Steen Right America Inc JMC Analytics and Polling Victory Enterprises Trump endorsement campaign finance immigration ads One Big Beautiful Bill Act Rob Sand