Republicans, Democrats who could be contenders for Iowa governor’s office
In a surprise announcement Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not seek a third term in office in 2026. Her decision leaves a wide-open race for the governor’s seat in 2026.
AND DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST. THANKS FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. SO HERE’S THE BIG QUESTION. A WIDE OPEN GOVERNOR’S RACE IN 2026. WHO ARE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS GOING TO PUT UP? TYLER, WE’LL START WITH YOU. NOW THAT WE KNOW IT’S NOT GOING TO BE REYNOLDS. WHAT ARE REPUBLICANS THINKING? YEAH. SO THE GOOD NEWS FOR REPUBLICANS, JUST WITH THE THE TREMENDOUS SUCCESS THE LAST SEVERAL CYCLES, I THINK THAT THERE IS A TREMENDOUS ROSTER HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE STATE. TALENTED FOLKS. WE HAVE FOLKS IN STATEWIDE POSITIONS FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL BRENNA BIRD WHO HAS, OF COURSE, VERY CLOSE TIES WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. OUR SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, MIKE NAIG. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOLKS SERVING IN CONGRESS RIGHT NOW WHO ARE VERY, VERY POPULAR IN THEIR DISTRICTS. SO I THINK THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS. YOU KNOW, OF THAT. YOU HEAR ABOUT WHO POTENTIALLY WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, VERY FORMIDABLE FOR THIS SPOT. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DO EXPECT IT TO BE A VERY BUSY PRIMARY. JONI ERNST IS UP FOR REELECTION ALSO IN 2026. SO ARE IOWA’S, YOU KNOW, FOUR U.S. HOUSE SEATS. YOU’VE HEARD NAMES LIKE ZACH NUNN BEING FLOATED, BUT WOULD REPUBLICANS WANT TO, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY GIVE UP HAVING AN INCUMBENT IN ONE OF THOSE CONGRESSIONAL SEATS? SO THAT’S THAT’S THE CALCULUS, RIGHT? SO WITH, YOU KNOW, CONGRESSMAN NUNN’S SEAT BEING AS CONTESTED AS IT IS, THAT’S CERTAINLY, I WOULD IMAGINE, BE PART OF HIS DECISION FACTOR. HIS FAMILY’S AND OTHERS AS WELL. BUT AS JEFF HAS SAID BEFORE, THESE OPEN SEATS FOR GOVERNOR DON’T COME OPEN OFTEN. AND AGAIN, I THINK THE GOOD NEWS FOR REPUBLICANS IS THERE IS JUST A BATTLE TESTED GROUP THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, SHOWN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE KIND OF HOW WELL THAT THEY’VE PERFORMED. THEY’VE WON TOUGH REELECTIONS IN THE LAST COUPLE CYCLES. AND SO I THINK THERE’S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AN AMPLE NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO BE TAKING CALLS, WHO, YOU KNOW, ARE GOING TO TAKE GIVE A REAL SERIOUS LOOK HERE. JEFF, ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE OF THINGS, WE DON’T HAVE A CANDIDATE THAT’S MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE DO KNOW THAT STATE AUDITOR ROB SAND HAS RAISED A LOT OF MONEY, AND THERE’S BEEN SOME, YOU KNOW, WHISPERS OF HIS POTENTIAL PLANS TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE HEARING OR POTENTIALLY SOME OTHER NAMES BEING FLOATED? YEAH, I WOULD THINK FRIDAY WAS A GOOD DAY FOR ROB SAND. HE’S HE’S BEEN TAKING A LOOK AT THIS RACE AND HE’S OUR ONLY STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICIAL. AND HE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE RACE. I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF THERE ARE OTHER LEADERS WHO STEP UP AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE RACE. THERE’S BEEN SOME NAMES FLOATED IN THE SENATE RACE. THEY MIGHT TAKE A LOOK AT THE GOVERNOR’S RACE. NOW THAT THAT’S OPENED. AND I ALSO WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF THERE WERE SOME INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES THAT SURFACED IN THIS PROCESS. SO THERE’LL BE A LOT OF SORTING OUT TO DO. BUT I THINK SAND HAS THE THE MOST ADVANTAGES RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE HE IS A STATEWIDE OFFICEHOLDER. AND HE HE HAS REALLY CREATED, I THINK, A GOOD PROFILE FOR HIMSELF AS, AS THE STATE AUDITOR. SO WE’LL SEE HOW THINGS COME. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LOT OF BATTLE TESTED CANDIDATES, BUT THAT ALSO KIND OF POINTS TO THE FACT THAT YOU COULD HAVE A PRETTY NASTY PRIMARY POTENTIALLY. AND WE’VE SEEN PRIMARIES, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. RIGHT. SOME OF THE REPUBLICANS ARE MORE THREATENED BY A PRIMARY CHALLENGER THAN THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, FROM THE LEFT, ALTHOUGH IN THIS CASE, WE WOULDN’T HAVE A CHALLENGER.
Republicans, Democrats who could be contenders for Iowa governor’s office
In a surprise announcement Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not seek a third term in office in 2026. Her decision leaves a wide-open race for the governor’s seat in 2026.
Updated: 7:30 PM CDT Apr 11, 2025
In a surprise announcement Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not seek a third term in office in 2026. Her decision leaves a wide-open race for the governor’s seat in 2026.KCCI Chief Political Reporter Amanda Rooker sat down with Republican strategist Tyler Campbell and Democratic strategist Jeff Link to discuss possible contenders.Video above: Republicans, Democrats who could be contenders for Iowa governor’s officeRepublicans have thrown out the possibility of Rep. Ashley Hinson (IA-02) or Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03) to run for the open governor’s seat. Both Hinson and Nunn ousted Democratic incumbents to flip their respective U.S. House seats. Attorney General Brenna Bird is another name that’s being floated. She was the first statewide elected official to endorse President Donald Trump.In his victory speech after he won the Iowa caucuses, Trump told the crowd that Bird is “going to be your governor someday.”Some other names being floated include Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and former U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker. Whitaker was recently confirmed as Trump’s ambassador to NATO.There is already one Republican in the race. Former state representative Brad Sherman announced back in February that he would run for governor in 2026.Paul Dahl, a Democrat from Webster City, also announced he’s running for governor in 2026. He made the announcement at the Iowa Statehouse in November 2024.Democratic strategist Jeff Lin said state auditor Rob Sand, the only statewide elected Democrat, is also considering a run for governor.WATCH: What will Democrats’ strategy be in effort to take Iowa governor’s office?» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
In a surprise announcement Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not seek a third term in office in 2026. Her decision leaves a wide-open race for the governor’s seat in 2026.
KCCI Chief Political Reporter Amanda Rooker sat down with Republican strategist Tyler Campbell and Democratic strategist Jeff Link to discuss possible contenders.
Video above: Republicans, Democrats who could be contenders for Iowa governor’s office
Republicans have thrown out the possibility of Rep. Ashley Hinson (IA-02) or Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03) to run for the open governor’s seat. Both Hinson and Nunn ousted Democratic incumbents to flip their respective U.S. House seats.
Attorney General Brenna Bird is another name that’s being floated. She was the first statewide elected official to endorse President Donald Trump.
In his victory speech after he won the Iowa caucuses, Trump told the crowd that Bird is “going to be your governor someday.”
Some other names being floated include Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and former U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker. Whitaker was recently confirmed as Trump’s ambassador to NATO.
There is already one Republican in the race. Former state representative Brad Sherman announced back in February that he would run for governor in 2026.
Paul Dahl, a Democrat from Webster City, also announced he’s running for governor in 2026. He made the announcement at the Iowa Statehouse in November 2024.
Democratic strategist Jeff Lin said state auditor Rob Sand, the only statewide elected Democrat, is also considering a run for governor.
WATCH: What will Democrats’ strategy be in effort to take Iowa governor’s office?
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» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
