Iowa — Governor

D Democratic Rob Sand

Invest in research and reverse Medicaid privatization

Rob Sand frames Iowa's nation-leading cancer growth rate as a public health crisis requiring state research investments, radon testing mandates, and aggressive water quality monitoring. He pledges to reverse Iowa's Medicaid privatization by executive order on day one, expand telehealth coverage, and crack down on Pharmacy Benefit Managers. Additionally, he promises to veto culture war legislation restricting access to surrogacy, contraception, and IVF.

• Establish a Cabinet-level Cancer Task Force under the Department of Health and Human Services to lead state and local responses.
• Reverse the privatization of Medicaid via executive order on day one of his administration.
• Mandate radon disclosures in home sales and facilitate training for radon mitigation professionals.
• Expand insurance coverage for telehealth services and require audio-only care to be covered at the same rates.
• Veto culture war bills attacking healthcare providers or restricting surrogacy, contraception, and IVF.

“As governor, I plan to make meaningful investments in cancer research so we can identify the root causes and work to eliminate them at the source.”

“As Governor, Rob will reverse the privatization of Medicaid the same way it was passed – by an executive order.”

R Republican Zach Lahn

Defeat cancer crisis and protect unborn life

Zach Lahn campaigns on a 'Make Iowa Healthy Again' platform focused on clean food, clean water, and honest medicine. He proposes redirecting research at the University of Iowa toward solving the state's cancer crisis and conducting independent state safety tests on products used in Iowa. Lahn also asserts that every life is a gift from God and pledges to protect life before birth as well as address chronic health issues facing children.

• Direct the University of Iowa medical research programs to focus specifically on solving Iowa's cancer crisis.
• Conduct independent state safety testing on products used in Iowa.
• Demand accountability from Big Ag and Big Pharma while breaking up corporate monopolies.
• Protect life before birth while addressing chronic health conditions in children post-birth.

“Clean food. Clean water. Honest medicine. I will work to defeat the cancer crisis plaguing state.”

“Every life is a gift from God and it is our duty to protect life before birth, as well as after birth by addressing chronic health issues facing our kids.”

D Democratic Rob Sand

Protect Iowa land and support farmer conservation

Rob Sand proposes taxing out-of-state landowners at higher rates to keep farmland in Iowa hands and expanding conservation funding for farmers. He advocates for funding digester technology to convert manure into natural gas and fertilizer while reducing nitrate runoff, and creating income and property tax credits for farmers adopting nutrient plans. Sand also opposes legal immunity for chemical companies whose pesticides pollute air and water.

• Tax out-of-state landowners at a higher rate to keep Iowa land owned by Iowans.
• Create income tax credits and per-acre property tax credits for farmers adopting approved conservation and nutrient plans.
• Fund digester technology to capture methane and convert nitrates into safer domestic fertilizer.
• Reject legal immunity for chemical companies facing lawsuits over air and water pollution.
• Implement transparent, digital manure management plans accessible to all Iowans.

“...taxing out-of-state landowners at a higher rate to keep Iowa in Iowans’ hands.”

“We need to build on current conservation efforts and ensure farmers who want to participate have the resources they need to do so.”

R Republican Zach Lahn

Restrict foreign ownership and free Iowa farmers

Zach Lahn prioritizes his 'Free Iowa's Farmers' platform by proposing to ban foreign and Wall Street ownership of Iowa farmland. He calls for confiscating land illegally owned by China to sell back to young families and veterans, filing antitrust suits against agricultural input monopolies, and raising property tax rates on Wall Street hedge funds. Lahn also strictly opposes the use of eminent domain for private corporate gain.

• Raise property tax rates on Wall Street institutional investors while lowering taxes for Iowans.
• Confiscate farmland illegally owned by China and sell it back to young families and veterans.
• File state antitrust lawsuits against monopolistic agricultural input companies.
• Flatly oppose the use of eminent domain for private corporate profit.
• Prioritize economic development funds for Iowa-owned businesses over foreign or out-of-state corporations.

“We have the best farmland in the world, but the system is rigged so the farmer always comes in last. It’s time for a change.”

“Confiscate any land illegally owned by China and sell that land back to young families and veterans.”

D Democratic Rob Sand

Fund universal pre-K and increase voucher oversight

Rob Sand advocates strengthening public education by establishing universal all-day pre-K funded by scaling back private school vouchers for wealthy families. He proposes strict annual audits, tuition increase caps, and income limits on private school vouchers to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Sand also calls for ending no-bid contracts for voucher administrative vendors.

• Fund universal all-day pre-K by eliminating taxpayer-funded private school vouchers for wealthy families.
• Mandate annual audits and income caps on the private school voucher program.
• Implement tuition increase limits for private schools receiving state voucher funds.
• Cancel no-bid administrative contracts like the one awarded to Odyssey for voucher oversight.

“We can pay for universal pre-K by no longer sending our taxpayer dollars to Iowa’s wealthiest families to pay for the private school tuition they were going to pay on their own anyway.”

“As Governor, Rob will fight to bring more oversight over the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent each year on vouchers.”

R Republican Zach Lahn

Ban political doctrine and reform public schools

Zach Lahn focuses on removing political ideology from classrooms, proposing to revoke the teaching licenses of any educators caught pushing political doctrine. He pledges to serve as the leading advocate for public school students by creating innovation zones for educators and eliminating unnecessary standardized testing. Lahn also advocates increasing resident student quotas at state universities.

• Revoke the teaching license of any teacher caught pushing political doctrine or agendas in the classroom.
• Establish innovation zones to give superintendents, principals, and teachers greater operational freedom.
• Eliminate or dramatically reduce state standardized testing requirements.
• Increase resident enrollment quotas for Iowa students at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University.

“Anyone who uses their position to push political doctrine will not teach in this state. Our kids deserve better.”

“If a teacher is caught pushing a political agenda in the classroom, teaching license will be revoked, period.”

D Democratic Rob Sand

Restore watchdog powers and enact ethics reforms

Rob Sand makes political system reform a pillar of his campaign, proposing bans on stock trading by state politicians, mandatory prison terms for stealing taxpayer funds, and term and age limits for elected officials. He advocates restoring the full investigative authority of the State Auditor's Office and implementing nonpartisan open primaries with Approval Voting in general elections.

• Ban stock trading for politicians and require blind trusts and quarterly financial disclosures.
• Mandate prison sentences for individuals convicted of stealing over $10,000 in taxpayer funds.
• Restore full document access and oversight authority to the State Auditor's Office.
• Enforce term limits (max 12 years in legislature, 20 years overall) and age limits (retirement at 78) for state officials.
• Require cognitive, physical fitness, and civics tests for candidates on the ballot.
• Establish nonpartisan open primaries advancing four candidates to a general election decided by Approval Voting.

“No matter who becomes Iowa’s next State Auditor, Republican or Democrat, the full powers of Iowa’s taxpayer watchdog should be restored to best protect Iowa’s tax dollars.”

“We should have a single public primary for candidates of all political parties or none at all, from which up to four candidates advance to the general election. In the general elections, Iowans can use approval voting...”

R Republican Zach Lahn

Promote outsider non-corporate government leadership

Zach Lahn positions himself as an anti-establishment outsider who self-funds his campaign and refuses corporate or donor influence. He pledges to serve only God, his family, and Iowa citizens rather than political consultants or global elites, focusing government resources exclusively on local Iowa priorities.

• Self-fund campaign efforts to remain independent of corporate donors and special interests.
• Focus state government and public universities on solving Iowa problems rather than global issues.
• Promote local community ownership and decision-making over central government intervention.

“I don’t answer to donors or corporations — only to God, my family, and the people of this state.”

D Democratic Rob Sand

Reign in spending and revitalize rural job growth

Rob Sand criticizes Iowa's economic growth record and projected $1.4 billion budget deficit under Republican governance. He promises to reign in spending, expand his 'Statewide Work, Statewide Jobs' initiative allowing state employees to work remotely anywhere in Iowa, and mandate efficiency programs across state agencies.

• Reign in state government spending to address a projected $1.4 billion state budget deficit.
• Expand 'Statewide Work, Statewide Jobs' to permit state employees to reside in rural Iowa communities.
• Mandate the Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program across all state government agencies.
• Eliminate four-year degree requirements for applicable state administrative roles.

“On day one as governor, I’ll reign in reckless spending and get Iowa back on track by: restoring the full oversight powers of the Auditor’s Office, reversing the costly decision to privatize Medicaid, legalizing adult-use cannabis, and taxing out-of-state landowners at a higher rate...”

R Republican Zach Lahn

Lower tax burdens and penalize institutional investors

Zach Lahn focuses on reducing overall taxes for Iowa families, supporting food freedom policies, and banning Wall Street hedge funds from acquiring single-family homes. He proposes shifting the local tax burden by raising property tax rates on institutional investors while offering home down-payment tax rebates to retain young Iowans.

• Ban Wall Street hedge funds from purchasing single-family residential homes in Iowa.
• Shift tax burdens by raising property tax rates on Wall Street institutional investors to lower taxes for residents.
• Provide tax rebates for young Iowans staying in or returning to the state to purchase homes.
• Eliminate economic development tax credits for foreign and out-of-state corporations in favor of local businesses.

“Lessening the tax burden on Iowans, food freedom policies and banning Wall Street Hedge-funds from buying single family homes will help make life affordable for Iowa families.”

D Democratic Rob Sand

Protect reproductive freedoms and veto restrictions

Rob Sand opposes legislative efforts to restrict reproductive healthcare choices. He promises to veto any culture war legislation targeting healthcare providers or limiting access to surrogacy, contraception, and IVF.

• Veto bills restricting access to surrogacy, contraception, and IVF.
• Protect healthcare providers from political attacks and legislative restrictions.

“...I would veto any culture war bills that cross my desk that further attacks on providers, make Iowa a less welcoming place to live, and threaten access to surrogacy, contraception, and IVF.”

R Republican Zach Lahn

Protect unborn life from conception

Zach Lahn advocates for protecting unborn children, stating that life is a gift from God. He pledges to defend life before birth while expanding focus on chronic pediatric health issues.

• Protect unborn human life as a gift from God.
• Address chronic health conditions affecting children post-birth.

“Every life is a gift from God and it is our duty to protect life before birth, as well as after birth by addressing chronic health issues facing our kids.”

D Democratic Rob Sand

Legalize, tax, and regulate adult-use cannabis

Rob Sand advocates legalizing adult-use cannabis for adults 21 and over, regulating it like alcohol under the Alcoholic Beverages Division to generate revenue and an estimated 7,000 jobs. He also supports reversing recent state restrictions on consumable hemp and THC beverages, while enforcing THC potency limits and child-safe packaging.

• Legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis for adults 21 and over under the Alcoholic Beverages Division.
• Cap THC content at 10mg per serving and 100mg per package while banning public consumption.
• Reverse HF 2605 to legalise consumable hemp and THC beverage sales with state oversight.
• Prioritize grow licenses for small and mid-sized Iowa family farms.

“Right now, Iowans are driving over the border to purchase regulated, taxed cannabis in our neighboring states.”

R Republican Zach Lahn

Ban undocumented benefits and restrict H-1B visas

Zach Lahn supports strict border and employment policies, proposing to ban state benefits for undocumented immigrants. He also advocates halting the issuance of H-1B visas for positions in state government and public universities that qualified Iowans can perform.

• Ban public state benefits for illegal immigrants.
• Stop issuing H-1B visas for jobs in state government and public universities that can be filled by Iowans.

“We will ban benefits for illegal immigrants, and stop issues H1B visas for jobs that Iowans can do in state government and in our universities.”