There are two pretty big political battles taking place in Iowa ahead of the 2026 midterms: the Senate race between GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson (IA-02) and Democrat Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek (20th district) is one of them. Both are vying for the seat currently held by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who isn't running for reelection.
Polls show that the race is a tight one, with tariffs and trade wars taking center stage in a state where agriculture is king.
The other one is the gubernatorial race between State Auditor Rob Sand (D) and Republican businessman and farmer Zach Lahn. The current governor, Kim Reynolds (R), did not seek reelection.
Sand has led in every poll so far - most of them with leads outside of the margin of error, partly due to name recognition, partly due to agricultural concerns, and partly due - as Lahn would suggest - to the large cash infusions his billionaire family has pumped into the race. But Lahn has been persistent in chipping away at Sand's "moderate" facade, a myth perpetuated by the mainstream media, which, of course, is rooting for Sand to win.
While Lahn has portrayed Sand as someone who is trying to buy his way into the governor's mansion, Sand has characterized Lahn as a "part-time" Iowan who spends more time in Kansas than in the Hawkeye State. Lahn, in turn, has called Rob Sand "no-show Rob," alleging Sand has been lazy on the job as state auditor:
A part time Auditor isn't going to be a full time Governor of the state of Iowa. https://t.co/XaSfVbKQO2
— Lahn HQ (@LahnHQ) October 7, 2026
On the residency issue, media reports note that Lahn, who is a sixth-generation Iowan, has a second home in Kansas, that some of his kids from a previous marriage live in the Sunflower State, and that he previously voted there in three election cycles: 2018, 2020, and 2022. He changed his voter registration to Iowa in 2024:
In an interview, Lahn told the Des Moines Register the home and the flights [on his personal plane] are necessary to see some of the children he and his wife have from previous marriages.
“I have a blended family, and some of my children are based out of Wichita,” he said. “And I'm trying my best to be present for things. And also, we use the plane to shuttle kids back and forth from Iowa as a tool that we use.”
Effectively trying to portray someone as a "carpetbagger" (even if false) in a political race can be the kiss of death for candidates who face that accusation, but during a Tuesday night debate (the first of four) between Lahn and Sand, Lahn addressed the issue head-on after being tweaked about it by Sand, and just flattened his opponent, who stood there speechless, in the process:
I think when you understand that this is a central lie of Rob Sand's campaign, you'll understand that he's been spreading this lie using money that his family has given him to do that all over the airwaves. People see it all the time.
But here's the deal, Rob. You're now encountering somebody who's not going to be intimidated by how much money your family has. It just won't happen. I can't be intimidated like that. The truth is, I'm a sixth-generation Iowan. I live in Iowa today. I have lived in Iowa. Rob has been lying about this.
And the issue is I have a blended family, and my kids split time. That's the issue. But Rob has chosen to make this issue the primary focus of his campaign. And I'll tell you, yes, I travel. I travel for business. I travel for family.
You know who else travels? Rob. Rob traveled to Aspen, Colorado, to their $77 million mansion there. Rob travels to their multi-million-dollar home in Northwest Iowa. Rob travels around the state in a Ford F-150. When he gets home, he gets in the $200,000 Mercedes G Wagon.
Rob is not telling the truth about who he is, and he's definitely not telling the truth about who I am. But I'm going to tell you this right now. This issue is about one thing. It's about my children. That's it. I have a blended family, and they split time. And I'm going to tell you right now, I am not going to be intimidated on this. I will spend whatever effort necessary to defend my children from people who'd like to exploit them like you. And my promise to the voters of Iowa is this. I will also defend your children from people who'd like to exploit them like Rob Sand. I won't put up with it.
Watch:
This one of the most brutal debate clips I've ever seen. Zach Lahn just ended Rob Sand's entire campaign in less than two minutes. https://t.co/2QJh1cPFYE
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 7, 2026
In another revealing moment, Lahn also nailed Sand on the difference between vaccines and therapies after Sand's campaign falsely accused him of wanting to ban cancer treatments:
"He has no clue what he is talking about." Zach Lahn completely deconstructs Rob's lie about his position on vaccines and cancer treatments. 👇 https://t.co/eemNPL1tS8
— Lahn HQ (@LahnHQ) October 7, 2026
Iowa gubernatorial candidate @ZachLahn gives @RobSandIA a lesson on the difference between a vaccine and a therapeutic: “When it comes to the idea of a cancer vaccine.. that doesn’t exist. These are therapies..” Zach Lahn has repeatedly called for removal of the Covid shots from the market.
— Mary Talley Bowden MD (@MaryBowdenMD) October 7, 2026
Between this and other clips, Lahn clearly came loaded for bear and had a lot to say, even at one point sparring with the moderators who he felt were trying to make the debate a "four-on-one." But on the residency issue especially, Lahn might have landed a solid blow and created an opening to turn things around ahead of November. These things happen often down the homestretch, something we've seen in races here in North Carolina and elsewhere in recent election cycles.
Relatedly, this could also help:
Republican candidate for Iowa governor Zach Lahn says a conversation with Vice President JD Vance helped lead to President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily expand the use of red-dyed diesel.
Trump publicly credited Lahn when announcing the executive order Monday. Gov. Kim Reynolds followed Tuesday with a proclamation temporarily suspending state penalties for using dyed diesel in vehicles hauling specified agricultural products on Iowa roads.
.@ZachLahn has done more for Iowa farmers in two weeks than Rob Sand has done in two decades as a career politician. https://t.co/OMsztelYiV
— Luke Thompson (@ltthompso) October 7, 2026
"Attack a man's children to win a race, and Iowa learns exactly who you are," one X user observed. And after watching that debate, Iowans now know a lot more about exactly who Rob Sand is, too - and it wasn't a good look. Whether it remains a gamechanger for Lahn's campaign remains to be seen, though, but he's clearly not going down without a helluva fight. Stay tuned.