DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — One is the only Democrat to hold statewide office in Iowa, and the other is a Republican representing the state’s most conservative U.S. House district. They both submitted their signatures on petitions to get on the ballot in 2026 this week.
Rob Sand campaign for governor
Rob Sand has traveled across the state for the past several years as a two-term state auditor, raised millions of dollars, and hopes to become the first Democrat to get elected governor in Iowa since Chet Culver in 2006.
Statewide candidates must collect signatures from at least 3,500 Iowans and turn those into the secretary of state’s office by March 13th. And those signatures must represent at least 100 people in at least 19 counties.
Sand’s campaign said that it collected nearly seven times as many signatures as required statewide, and they came from all 99 counties.
Democratic primary for governor
Sand has a Democratic opponent in the primary, Julie Stauch. Stauch has spent several decades as a political campaign and non-profit strategist and is now making a change to become a candidate.
She enters the race with much less name recognization than Sand and substantially fewer campaign resources.
Randy Feenstra campaign for governor
Randy Feenstra served as state senator for 12 years and then as 4th District U.S. Representative for the past six years. His time in office gives him greater name recognition than the other Republicans running for governor, and he has initially raised more money.
Feenstra is trying to become the third straight Republican elected governor in the state following Terry Branstad and Kim Reynolds.
Republican primary for governor
Adam Steen, former director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services from Runnells; Zach Lahn, farmer and business owner from Belle Plaine; state Representative Eddie Andrews from Johnston; and former state representative Brad Sherman of Williamsburg have also been campaigning for governor.
The primary election takes place on June 2nd.
About the author: Midwest native Dave Price is Gray Television’s Iowa Political Director for nine stations that broadcast in the state and has been covering local, state and national politics from Iowa since 2001.
Dave produces and hosts “Inside Iowa Politics,” a weekly, in-depth show focused on interviews with top leaders on politics, issues, challenges and solutions that impact the state.
He has written two books about the Iowa Caucuses (“Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on X (Twitter): @idaveprice Meta/Facebook: DavePriceNews Instagram: idaveprice and LinkedIn: Dave Price.
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