Zach Lahn, a businessman and farmer, overcame a Trump-backed establishment candidate in a crowded five-person primary to win the Republican nomination for governor in Iowa on Tuesday, The Associated Press said.
Mr. Lahn’s win was a rare instance this year in which a candidate has defeated an opponent endorsed by President Trump.
Mr. Lahn, who had never run for office before, beat Representative Randy Feenstra, a sitting congressman who was endorsed by President Trump, as well as several other candidates.
Early in the race, Mr. Feenstra was considered the clear front-runner, but struggled with a perception that he was out of touch with the grass roots of the party and was criticized for skipping debates. Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Feenstra last week, calling him “MAGA all the way.”
Mr. Lahn thanked his supporters from the stage late Tuesday, vowing to protect the interest of Iowans.
“That’s why I’m running for governor, because I fear every day we are losing the Iowa we love,” he said.
In a concession speech, Mr. Feenstra said that he had called Mr. Lahn and urged him to “carry the torch.”
Mr. Lahn, who promised to fight back against special interests and support family farms, was seen among Iowa Republicans as an outsider candidate in a campaign that was dominated by voter concerns over the economy, water quality and pollution. He won endorsements from the Make America Healthy Again PAC and former Representative Steve King of Iowa, who campaigned for him around the state.
The next challenge for Mr. Lahn lies ahead, when he will face Rob Sand, the Democratic state auditor, in the November election. Mr. Sand ran unopposed for his party’s nomination and is campaigning for governor with a bipartisan pitch aimed at Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, had declined to run for a third term as governor, setting up a wide-open race to replace her. She did not endorse in the Republican primary.
Mr. Lahn, who previously worked for the advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, is lagging behind Mr. Sand in fund-raising, bringing in just over $980,000 so far in 2026, compared to Mr. Sand’s $9.6 million. Mr. Lahn told Iowa voters that he was focused on improving their health in the face of rising cancer rates, enhancing the state’s education system and supporting family farms. He also vowed to raise taxes on data centers and lower property taxes for Iowa residents.
He and his wife run Homeplace Ventures, a company investing in agriculture, real estate, and technology.
Iowa, once seen as a political swing state, has turned deep red in recent years. That could shift in the fall if Mr. Sand, 43, wins over enough Republicans and voters who are unaffiliated with a party.
Mr. Sand, the only Democrat to hold statewide office in Iowa, has run ads promoting his background growing up in Decorah, a small town in the northeast part of the state, and his experience as a prosecutor and state auditor. In television ads, he has advertised himself as a “governor for all” and repeated the slogan, “Not redder or bluer, but better and truer.”
In April, the Cook Political Report moved the Iowa governor’s race from “leans Republican” to “toss up.”
At the polls on Tuesday, some voters said they were drawn to Mr. Lahn because of his promises to protect Iowa agriculture.
Brian Schimmer, 66, said he supported Mr. Lahn because of his vows to keep foreign investment out of Iowa farms.
“I like the idea of Iowa farmland staying in the state of Iowa and owned by people in the state of Iowa,” said Mr. Schimmer.
Julie Bosman is the Chicago bureau chief for The Times, writing and reporting stories from around the Midwest.
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