Lahn, Sand, Turek, Hinson Among Primary Election Winners

Iowa featured several major races in Tuesday’s June Primary election, with open seats this year for Governor and the U.S. Senate.

Businessman and first-time candidate Zach Lahn has narrowly won the Iowa GOP’s nomination for governor, finishing less than a percentage point ahead of Congressman Randy Feenstra.

Lahn says his supporters have sent a message about the status quo – and he’s pledging to break up monopolies – including what he calls the ag cartels – and address Iowa’s rising cancer rate.

Lahn says Rob Sand, the Democrat he’ll face in the General Election, presents himself as a moderate and would govern like a radical – noting his campaign is funded by special interests and his wealthy family. Lahn pledges to be the biggest donor to his campaign, a campaign he says is inspired by his great-great grandfather who bought a homestead near Belle Plaine.

In the Primary, Lahn faced an opponent who was better known and had a campaign funding lead when the race began in earnest last November. In the closing weeks of the campaign, Lahn raised more money than Feenstra, then last Friday, Feenstra got President Trump’s endorsement as Lahn was endorsed by Turning Point USA. Feenstra spoke to supporters in his hometown of Hull late last night.

Feenstra has held elected office for two decades, serving as Sioux County Auditor, a state senator and, since 2021 as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Feenstra led the crowd in a prayer of thanks and of support for Lahn’s campaign for governor.

Meanwhile, Rob Sand, who did not have a Primary opponent, officially won the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor last night. Sand says Iowans are frustrated about what’s happened while Republicans have held the governorship and GOP majorities in the legislature.

Sand, who has been state auditor since 2019, says for much of his life Democrats and Republicans had to share control of the levers of state government and Iowans kept electing Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Tom Harkin to the U.S. Senate.

Iowa Democrats have selected State Representative Josh Turek to face Republican Ashley Hinson for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat.

Turek, who’s from Council Bluffs, will get national support as Democrats hope to win the seat currently held by Republican Joni Ernst, who’s not seeking reelection. Turek was born with spina bifida due to his father’s exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and is the first permanently disabled member of the Iowa legislature. Turek says he’s running because the status quo is not working.

Turek finished ahead of fellow Democrat Zach Wahls, a state senator from Coralville.

Congresswoman Ashley Hinson easily won the Iowa Republican Party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate over challenger Jim Carlin. Hinson vows to follow in Senator Joni Ernst’s footsteps and keep the seat in the Republican column.

Hinson spoke to supporters last night in Cedar Rapids.

Hinson thanked President Trump for endorsing her and suggested her Democratic opponent Turek is running in the wrong state.

Besides the governor, there are five other statewide elected officials and the General Election matchups between Republicans and Democrats are set. 

• Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer is the GOP nominee for State Auditor. She defeated Abigail Maas, an Iowa County Supervisor, in the Republican Primary and will face Democrat Taylor Wettach, a Muscatine attorney in November.
• Republican Brenna Bird is seeking a second term as attorney general and will be running against Democrat Nate Willems, an attorney from Mount Vernon.
• Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican who’s held the post for four terms, will face Navy veteran Ryan Peterman, a Democrat from Bettendorf.
• Republican State Treasurer Roby Smith is seeking a second term and will be challenged by Democrat John Norwood, a small business advisor from West Des Moines.
• And Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, a Republican, is running for a third term. Chris Jones, a retired professor who’s a water quality advocate, is the Democrat who’s running against Naig.

story and audio courtesy of Radio Iowa