Lahn upsets Trump-backed Feenstra
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Businessman Zach Lahn during last month's GOP debate hosted by KCCI. Screenshot: KCCI/Gray Media
Zach Lahn upset Iowa's Republican governor primary Tuesday, defeating Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.
Why it matters: Lahn's win jolts Iowa Republicans, rejecting the race's best-known candidate and forcing the GOP to regroup before facing Democrat Rob Sand in November.
State of play: Lahn — one of five GOP candidates — received 37.7% of the vote, surpassing the 35% threshold required to win outright and avoid a Republican convention, according to the Iowa Secretary of State's unofficial results.
- That lets Republicans avoid a drawn-out convention fight and pivot immediately to the general election.
By the numbers: As of 5am, all but 10 of Iowa's 1,658 county precincts had reported results, with Winnebago the only county still without completed results.
- Feenstra received 36.9% of the vote — 1,652 fewer than Lahn; former Iowa Department of Administrative Services director Adam Steen (14.5%); former state Rep. Brad Sherman, (7%); and state Rep. Eddie Andrews (3.6%).
State of play: The Associated Press called the race for Lahn shortly before midnight Tuesday following Feenstra's concession speech earlier in the evening.
What's next: The result sets up Iowa's first open-seat governor's race in nearly 20 years, after Gov. Kim Reynolds declined to seek another term.
