Nonpartisan Analysis Since 1980

Iowa
Governor

State Map

State map

Current Rating

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Lean D

Baseline

What's This?
R +7.1
D: 45.7%, R: 52.8%

2026 Election

Incumbent

Candidates

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Campaign Finance Data

CANDIDATE RAISED SPENT CASH-ON-HAND
D Rob Sand Nominee $29,210,975 $18,764,735 $17,957,959
R Zach Lahn Nominee $10,069,964 $9,024,599 $1,045,365
R Kim Reynolds Incumbent -- -- --
L Nicholas Gluba Disqualified -- -- --
R Randy Feenstra -- -- --

Totals as of August 18, 2026 — Source: Inside Elections

Polls

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Echelon Insights (R) for NetChoice

50% D R. Sand
46% R Z. Lahn
Source: Echelon Insights Oct 16 – Oct 23, 2026

co/efficient (R)

49% D R. Sand
45% R Z. Lahn
Source: co/efficient Oct 15 – Oct 19, 2026

New River Strategies (D)/GS Strategy Group (R) for The Cook Political Report

54% D R. Sand
43% R Z. Lahn
Source: New River Strategies/GS Strategy Group Oct 9 – Oct 13, 2026

YouGov

50% D R. Sand
44% R Z. Lahn
Source: YouGov Oct 6 – Oct 12, 2026

National Public Affairs for God, Family, & Country PAC (R)

50% D R. Sand
45% R Z. Lahn
Source: National Public Affairs Oct 8 – Oct 12, 2026

Marist University

52% D R. Sand
45% R Z. Lahn
Source: Marist University Oct 8 – Oct 11, 2026

Emerson College

49% D R. Sand
45% R Z. Lahn
Source: Emerson College Oct 5 – Oct 6, 2026

CNN/SSRS

51% D R. Sand
42% R Z. Lahn
Source: CNN/SSRS Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2026

Suffolk University

55% D R. Sand
43% R Z. Lahn
Source: Suffolk University Oct 1 – Oct 4, 2026

New York Times/Siena University

52% D R. Sand
41% R Z. Lahn
Source: New York Times/Siena University Sep 22 – Oct 1, 2026

Beacon Research (D)/Shaw (R) for Fox News

53% D R. Sand
44% R Z. Lahn
Source: Beacon Research (D)/Shaw (R) Sep 24 – Sep 28, 2026

Cygnal (R)

48% D R. Sand
43% R Z. Lahn
Source: Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation Jun 16 – Jun 19, 2026

Past Elections

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Calendar

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MAR
13
2026
Candidate Filing Deadline
JUN
2
2026
Primary Election Day
NOV
3
2026
Election Day

Analysis

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2026 Gubernatorial Report Shorts (Oct. 29, 2026)

October 29, 2026
by Jacob Rubashkin, Nathan L. Gonzales & Inshara Ali

Where White Women Could Swing in November

October 15, 2026
by Bradley Wascher

The States Most Likely to Split Tickets in 2026

September 24, 2026
by Bradley Wascher

Governor Report Shorts (Sept. 3, 2026)

September 3, 2026
by Jacob Rubashkin, Nathan L. Gonzales & Inshara Ali

Governor Report Shorts (August 6, 2026)

August 6, 2026
by Jacob Rubashkin, Inshara Ali & Nicholas Demba

Gubernatorial Overview (June 25, 2026)

June 25, 2026
by Jacob Rubashkin, Nathan L. Gonzales & Inshara Ali

Governor Report Shorts (June 11, 2026)

June 11, 2026
by Jacob Rubashkin

Primary Results in Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota

June 4, 2026
by Nathan L. Gonzales & Jacob Rubashkin

Report Shorts (March 26, 2026)

March 26, 2026
by Jacob Rubashkin

Report Shorts (Feb. 19, 2026)

February 19, 2026
by Jacob Rubashkin

Ratings

2026
October 29, 2026
Lean Democrat
August 6, 2026
Tilt Democrat
June 25, 2026
Toss-up
June 4, 2026
Tilt Republican
August 28, 2025
Likely Republican
April 17, 2025
Battleground Republican
February 6, 2025
Battleground Republican
2024
January 20, 2023
Not Up This Cycle
2022
December 3, 2021
Solid Republican
February 19, 2021
Solid Republican
2020
February 1, 2019
Not Up This Cycle
2018
November 1, 2018
Tilt Democrat
September 28, 2018
Toss-up
August 31, 2018
Tilt Republican
August 24, 2017
Lean Republican
April 21, 2017
Lean Republican
2016
January 23, 2015
Not Up This Cycle
2014
October 29, 2014
Solid Republican
June 28, 2013
Likely Republican
February 22, 2013
Lean Republican
2012
December 2, 2011
Not Up This Cycle
January 3, 2011
Not Up This Cycle
2010
July 2, 2010
Likely Republican

Baselines

About
2025+7.1D 45.7, R 52.8
2024
+7.1
2022
+7.4
2020
+5.7
2018
+4.3
2016
+8.0
2014
+4.3