Iowa governor's race: U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra launches exploratory committee
Rep. Randy Feenstra filed paperwork to run for governor in 2026. If he officially launches a campaign, he would be the first Republican to announce since Gov. Kim Reynolds decided not to seek a third term.
Rep. Randy Feenstra filed paperwork to run for governor in 2026. If he officially launches a campaign, he would be the first Republican to announce since Gov. Kim Reynolds decided not to seek a third term.
Rep. Randy Feenstra filed paperwork to run for governor in 2026. If he officially launches a campaign, he would be the first Republican to announce since Gov. Kim Reynolds decided not to seek a third term.
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, the Republican currently representing Iowa's 4th congressional district, filed Monday to run for governor in 2026 and, on Tuesday, launched an exploratory committee.
If he officially launches a campaign, he would be the first Republican to announce since Gov. Kim Reynolds decided not to seek a third term.
“Since Governor Reynolds announced her decision not to seek re-election, Iowans from every corner of the state and walk of life have asked me to run,” Feenstra said in a news release Tuesday. “The outpouring of encouragement and my desire to continue giving back to our great state has brought me to today’s announcement. I want to thank Governor Reynolds for her strong, conservative leadership for Iowa.”
Right now, eastern Iowa pastor and former state representative Brad Sherman is the only Republican officially in the race. Sherman announced his campaign before Reynolds said she wouldn't be seeking another term.
At least a half dozen Iowa Republicans have suggested they are considering a run for governor. That includes Attorney General Brenna Bird; Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig; House Speaker Pat Grassley, grandson of the state's senior U.S. senator; and Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, son of the state GOP's chairman.
Feenstra has represented Iowa in Congress since defeating Democrat J.D. Scholten in 2020. He won reelection in 2022 and again in 2024. Iowa's 4th District covers the northwest portion of the state along with the entire western Iowa border.
Feenstra's filing Monday came hours after Rob Sand, Iowa's only statewide elected Democrat, launched a campaign for governor. A former public corruption prosecutor, Sand rose to statewide office when he was elected state auditor in 2018 and was re-elected as Iowa's only Democratic statewide officeholder in 2022.
“I’ve stood with President Trump and fought against Joe Biden’s radical policies. I’ve led the fight to stop Communist China from buying our farmland and backed President Trump every step of the way as we’ve secured the border,” Feenstra said in Tuesday's news release. “I’m fighting every day to renew the Trump Tax Cuts, protect the family budget, and support our main street businesses. As Governor, I will stand with President Trump, defeat the left, and help usher in America’s next golden age.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart criticized Feenstra in a statement, calling him a "reliable foot soldier for the misguided partisans and insiders ruining our state."
"Iowa is now 49th in economic growth and losing manufacturing jobs, while Rep. Feenstra has failed to deliver a farm bill, voted to gut Medicaid, and supported Iowa's unaccountable voucher program that's jeopardizing Iowa's fiscal budget. We need a new direction and Randy Feenstra is just more of the same failed leadership," Hart added.