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orywireZach Lahn won Iowa’s Republican primary for governor after defeating U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra in an AP-called race. Lahn is set to face Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand in the November general election.
Zach Lahn won Iowa’s Republican primary for governor, defeating U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra in an upset race called by the Associated Press after Feenstra conceded. Lahn is set to face Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand in the November general election.
The race remains in the unofficial-results stage until Iowa’s canvass process is completed, so vote totals and percentages can still change.
With 99% of votes counted in AP results cited by Iowa Public Radio, Lahn had 37.8% and Feenstra had 37.0%.
KWQC reported Lahn with 80,766 votes and Feenstra with 79,114 votes, a margin of 1,652 votes. The AP called the Republican primary for Lahn late Tuesday, and Iowa Public Radio reported that Feenstra conceded.
The Republican field also included Adam Steen, Brad Sherman and Eddie Andrews, according to the Iowa Secretary of State’s official candidate list for the June 2 primary.
Lahn’s share of the vote was important because Iowa has a nomination threshold in crowded primaries.
Under Iowa law, when more than two candidates run for a statewide office in a party primary, a candidate generally needs at least 35% of the vote to win the nomination outright. If no candidate reaches that mark, the primary can be declared inconclusive and the nomination process can move to the party convention system.
The AP figures cited by Iowa Public Radio put Lahn above that threshold. The final official numbers still depend on the canvass.
Lahn now moves toward a general-election race against Sand, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Sand is Iowa’s state auditor and the state’s only Democratic statewide elected official.
The race is for an open governor’s seat. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds declined to seek another term, creating a rare open-seat contest in a state where Republicans have held the governor’s office for years.
The matchup gives Iowa voters a general-election choice between Lahn, a Republican businessman and farmer who built support from conservative and “Make America Healthy Again” activists, and Sand, a Democrat who has emphasized government oversight and accountability in his statewide role.
Feenstra entered the race with major advantages, including support from President Donald Trump. Reuters and the AP described his defeat as a notable setback for Trump’s endorsement record in Republican primaries.
Lahn, who had not previously held public office, ran as an outsider and criticized large agricultural interests. Iowa Public Radio reported that he campaigned on issues including cancer rates, family farms and education.
The result reshaped the governor’s race quickly: instead of a Feenstra-Sand matchup, Iowa is now headed toward a Lahn-Sand contest.
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The winner has been called by the AP and Feenstra has conceded, but the numbers are not certified final totals.
County and state canvasses can adjust vote totals as election officials review and finalize returns. Iowa law says the state canvass makes statewide primary results conclusive after the required review.
Readers looking for official updates should check the Iowa Secretary of State’s election results page and county auditor postings. The next meaningful update would be final canvass totals, any formal post-election challenge, or new candidate statements about the general-election campaign.
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