Democrat Rob Sand Wins Iowa Governor's Race

Democrat Rob Sand has won Iowa's governor's race, the Associated Press projected, defeating Republican Zach Lahn in the November 3 election. The Guardian reported that Sand is the first Democrat to win the governor's office since 2006.

Sand, 44, is a native Iowan who served as state auditor, an elected office that oversees state spending. According to the Guardian, he was the sole Democrat holding statewide office in Iowa before the race. He announced his bid for the open governor's seat in May 2025. In June, after he became the Democratic nominee, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear joined him at a rally in Iowa.

Lahn is a Republican businessman and a political newcomer, according to Reuters. He is backed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" movement. He won the Republican primary over a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, and PBS NewsHour reported that his win surprised even members of his own party.

Iowa's voting record offers some context. The state voted for Barack Obama twice, and for Trump in all three presidential elections in which he appeared on the ballot. The Washington Post described Sand as a moderate Democrat in its live coverage of the race.

The contest was also rated closely by election analysts. Sand's campaign said Inside Elections, which rates races, had moved the contest to a toss-up in June, a rating meaning the race is seen as evenly competitive. The campaign described this as the third major race rater to make that move in Sand's favor. The same campaign said National Journal had named Iowa one of the top five gubernatorial races most likely to flip in 2026. On October 30, the campaign also announced that Sand had raised $4.8 million in the final fundraising period, which began October 15.

Sand's running mate for lieutenant governor was Dave Muhlbauer. On the same ballot, Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek competed for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat.