Latest dated poll: September 22
Marist reports Sand at 54% and Lahn at 42% among 1,050 registered voters surveyed September 17–20, with a ±4.4-point margin of error.
Explore all 10 reports and their methods →2026 GENERAL ELECTION · IOWA
A new chapter.
Iowa decides.
Meet the candidates for governor, explore the latest polling, and get ready to vote on Tuesday, November 3.
One statewide race. A four-year term.
Your guide to the choice ahead.
THE HAWKEYE STATEEST. 1846
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 28, 2026
The next stretch of the race.
New polling, four October debates, and the voting dates ahead. Content is a September 28 snapshot; the election countdown runs live.
Prepare for October 14
In-person absentee voting may begin October 14. Confirm hours and ballot availability with your county auditor. Pre-registration and mailed absentee requests are due October 19 at 5 p.m. Central.
Build your voting checklist →Watch the candidates debate.
All times Central · schedules confirmed from the hosts on September 28.
Oct 6 · 7 p.m.
Davenport · KWQC
Watch on COZI 6.3 or KWQC+. Also available on KCRG and KTIV streaming platforms.
Host details & viewing options ↗Oct 14 · 7 p.m.
Sioux City · KTIV
Watch on KTIV, KTIV News 4 Now, or ktiv.com.
Host details & viewing options ↗Oct 21 · 7 p.m.
Johnston · Iowa PBS
A 90-minute debate on statewide Iowa PBS, iowapbs.org, and YouTube.
Host details & viewing options ↗Oct 27 · 6:30 p.m.
Cedar Rapids · KCRG
Hosted with The Gazette. Watch on KCRG 9.2, KCRG.com, or the KCRG app.
Host details & viewing options ↗KWQC invites viewers to submit questions by October 2; its October 6 debate is closed to an in-person audience. See participation details ↗. Check each host for schedule changes.
EXPLORE IOWA
Every county has a story.
Explore the last governor election and recent turnout. Select a county on the map or use the list.
Select a county to explore its results.
Use the county list, or focus the map and use arrow keys to move between counties. Press Enter to select.
Sources and how to read these numbers
Historical results are not a forecast of the 2026 race. Governor vote shares use valid votes for all candidates and write-ins; blank and overvoted ballots are excluded. Turnout is the state’s reported share of all registered voters, including active and inactive registrations. These are different election years, with different contests and electorates.
All 99 counties are included. Retrieved September 17, 2026. County boundaries: CC0 Wikimedia map based on U.S. Census geography; interactive styling added. County codes: U.S. Census Bureau ↗.
Download county data (JSON)THE CANDIDATES
Two tickets. Distinct priorities.
The Secretary of State’s candidate list, rechecked September 28, lists these two governor tickets. The linked document is dated August 19. Positions below summarize the candidates’ own campaign materials. Official candidate list
Showing all four issue areas for both candidates.
REPUBLICAN
Zach Lahn
With Derek Wulf · Lieutenant governor
A farmer and businessman from Belle Plaine, Lahn is the Republican nominee. His campaign emphasizes Iowa ownership, family farming, lower taxes, and socially conservative policy.
- Economy & agriculture
- Proposes prioritizing Iowa-based businesses for incentives, reducing taxes, and pursuing antitrust cases against agricultural-input monopolies.
- Water & health
- Calls for independent product-safety testing, university research on Iowa’s cancer concerns, and incentives to reduce agricultural runoff.
- Education & social policy
- Supports school innovation zones, reduced standardized testing, and revoking teaching licenses for what his platform calls political indoctrination; states an anti-abortion position.
- Housing & affordability
- Proposes banning Wall Street hedge funds from buying single-family homes and offering tax rebates toward down payments for young Iowans who stay or return.
DEMOCRATIC
Rob Sand
With Dave Muhlbauer · Lieutenant governor
Iowa’s state auditor and a former assistant attorney general, Sand grew up in Decorah. His campaign emphasizes government accountability, rural opportunity, affordability, and access to health care.
- Economy & agriculture
- Proposes a $12 minimum wage, support for small businesses and rural manufacturing, and investment in bio-based products and renewable energy.
- Water & health
- Calls for expanded water monitoring, conservation incentives, a cancer task force, and reversing Iowa’s privatized Medicaid system.
- Education & social policy
- Proposes universal all-day pre-K funded by limiting vouchers for wealthy families, with stronger voucher oversight. Says he would veto further restrictions on contraception, IVF, and surrogacy.
- Housing & affordability
- Proposes easing rules to build more housing, capping utility service fees, and requiring data centers to pay their infrastructure and energy costs.
Additional campaign sources: Sand: economic priorities · Sand: health policy · Sand: education . These are proposals, not enacted policy.
Map: Effeietsanders & Ballingxo / Wikimedia Commons , CC0, based on U.S. Census geographic data.