Iowa Primary Elections Update
Iowa voters participated in the primary elections on Tuesday, with two significant races underway: a gubernatorial race and a Senate seat contest.
Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, declared in April 2025 that he would not pursue a third term. Following this, Republican Senator Joni Ernst also announced she wouldn’t seek reelection in September.
There are more Republicans now in Iowa than ever before. Yet, there’s concern over the Democratic turnout, which appears to be outpacing Republican numbers. Perhaps it’s something election leaders should watch closely.
In the gubernatorial primary, five Republicans were vying to succeed Reynolds.
A survey by JMC Analytics from late May indicated that none of the candidates might secure the required 35% to win outright. The polling showed that 24% favored businessman Zach Rahn, while 22% supported state Rep. Randy Feenstra. Other candidates garnered 15% for Adam Steen, 8% for Brad Sherman, and 4% for Eddie Andrews. Notably, 27% of voters were undecided.
Feenstra received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who expressed his backing enthusiastically.
As the votes were tallied on Tuesday night, Rahn and Feenstra found themselves in a tight contest. With approximately 90% of the votes counted, Rahn was leading by around 1,400 votes. A commentator mentioned that it seemed certain that Rahn would be the Republican nominee for Governor of Iowa.
By 11:30 p.m. ET, projections indicated Rahn’s victory over Feenstra had solidified. With about 98% of the votes counted, Rahn had a slight lead of less than 1 percentage point, decisively winning with more than 37% of the vote and avoiding a convention.
Reports suggested that Feenstra made a concession call to Rahn on Tuesday night.
Rahn is now set to face Democratic candidate Rob Sund, who is running uncontested, in the general election on November 3.
In another significant race, former state Rep. Jim Carlin and Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson competed for Ernst’s Senate vacancy. According to the same JMC Analytics poll, Hinson was expected to win, with 58% of respondents indicating their support, giving her a commanding lead over Carlin.
As the votes came in on Tuesday, Hinson achieved a remarkable victory. Projections showed her winning by over 48 percentage points shortly after the polls closed, with nearly all votes counted.
On the Democratic side, State Representative Josh Turek triumphed over State Senator Zach Walls in their primary, preparing to face Hinson in November.
Prior to Election Day, Deace shared his views on the Iowa race and its implications nationally. He hoped Democrats would lean toward Walls instead of Turek, who he believed delivered a compelling message. He further pointed out that while Democratic turnout nationwide often surpasses Republican efforts, the historic Republican registration advantage in Iowa could complicate predictions for November.
In conclusion, as the dynamics of these races unfold, it remains to be seen how they’ll impact the political landscape moving forward.
