Zach Lahn
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Zach Lahn | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1985 or 1986 (age 40–41) Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Lauren Lahn (divorced)Annie Breitenbach |
| Children | 7 |
| Education | University of Colorado, Boulder (BA) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Zach Lahn (born 1985/1986, pronounced /leɪn/ LAYNE)[1] is an American businessman, farmer, and political candidate. He is the Republican nominee in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election.[2]
During his campaign, Lahn has described himself as an "Iowa First" candidate and supporter of the "MAHA" movement.
Early life and education
[edit ]Lahn was born in Sioux City, Iowa and grew up nearby in Hinton.[3] He is a sixth-generation Iowan.[4] Lahn graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a Bachelor’s degree in political science.[3] [5] He moved to Montana after college, later moving to Kansas in the 2010s. He remained there until 2023, when he moved back to Iowa.[6] [7]
While at the University of Colorado, Boulder Lahn attended a town hall where Barack Obama was promoting Obamacare. At the town hall, Lahn asked then-president Obama,
"We all know the best way to reduce prices in this economy is to increase competition... How in the world can a private corporation providing insurance compete with an entity that does not have to worry about making a profit, does not have to pay local property taxes, they're not subject to local regulations? How can a company compete with that?"
This question went viral in conservative media circles with Rush Limbaugh saying that Lahn was "amazing".[8]
Business career
[edit ]Lahn worked in Montana as a state director for Americans for Prosperity. He later launched the Wonder School in Kansas, at Wichita State University. Lahn also founded Homeplace Ventures, a company focused on agriculture and real estate.[3]
Lahn was previously a board member for FirmTech Inc., a company which sells sex toys and sexual health products. Lahn invested approximately 1ドル million into the company, before resigning from the board in September 2023. He is a 25% shareholder in the corporation, and states that he is contractually unable to disinvest his money. Lahn has defended his involvement with FirmTech, stating that he resigned from the board before the company began to sell sex toys, having previously focused primarily on medical products designed to treat erectile dysfunction and predict cardiovascular disease in men. He has stated that he chose to resign from the board as a result of his concern over the company's marketing and direction.[9]
Lahn also works as a farmer on his property in Belle Plaine.[3]
2026 Iowa gubernatorial election
[edit ]Lahn is running as a Republican in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election. Lahn first announced his candidacy on November 6, 2025.[10] He filed paperwork to qualify for the ballot in March 2026, after submitting 6,100 petition signatures.[11]
During the Republican primary, Lahn faced several opponents, including Rep. Randy Feenstra. During the primary, Lahn attacked Feenstra as "soft" on immigration, while Feenstra attacked Lahn for investing in FirmTech Inc.[12] Lahn's campaign was endorsed by former Rep. Steve King and Turning Point Action,[13] while Feenstra received the endorsement of President Donald Trump.[12]
On June 3, 2026, Lahn won the Republican primary, narrowly defeating Feenstra and also defeating three other opponents.[14] Feenstra conceded the race that evening and later endorsed Lahn in the general election.[15] Lahn's victory marked the second time during the 2026 midterm elections that a Trump-endorsed candidate[a] lost a Republican primary race.[16] The Guardian described Lahn's victory as "a rare rebuke to Trump",[17] while Politico described his defeat of Feenstra as a "shocking upset".[18]
Lahn will face Democratic candidate Rob Sand in the November 2026 general election.[19]
Political views
[edit ]In 2026, Lahn ran an "Iowa First" primary campaign for governor[5] that included support for the "Make America Healthy Again" movement.[20] Time described Lahn's campaign as fusing "traditional conservative themes with an aggressive critique of corporate agriculture, pesticide use, and pharmaceutical influence."[20]
Lahn supports increasing state restrictions on H-1B visa jobs.[20] Lahn also supports expanding environmental regulations,[20] gun rights, school vouchers, and religious freedom.[5] He has vowed to increase taxes on AI data centers by 500%,[21] while lowering property taxes on state residents.[22] He has called for a "complete moratorium" on new data centers in Iowa.[23]
Abortion
[edit ]Lahn has called for a total abortion ban, with no exceptions for rape or incest.[20] Stating "I don’t think you can be more pro-life than I am," he supports Iowa's current heartbeat bill, but argues that abortion bans "need to go all the way to life at conception."[24] Additionally, he has called for banning abortion pills such as mifepristone.[24]
Health
[edit ]Lahn has vowed to improve Iowa's drinking water quality and address rising cancer rates in the state.[b] Lahn has pointed to nitrate contamination in Iowa's water,[25] as well pesticide poisoning as major factors to address.[20] He has also vowed to veto any legislation which would grant immunity to agriculture companies from civil litigation.[26]
He supports a ban on mRNA vaccines, as well as de-listing COVID-19 vaccines from the market.[27]
Land ownership
[edit ]Lahn has vowed to ban secret land ownership[26] and has opposed foreign investment in Iowa farms.[22] Lahn has stated that he will confiscate land owned by Chinese nationals and "give it to veterans to start homesteads."[28] He is skeptical of eminent domain, and believes it should be reserved for rare circumstances.[29]
Lahn has argued that "Wall Street hedge funds and foreign interests are buying and selling [Iowa] land, driving up costs, so our kids are priced out of the market. They treat Iowa land like it’s a commodity instead of our inheritance. They treat us like numbers, not neighbors."[26]
Personal life
[edit ]Lahn and his second wife, Annie Lahn (née Breitenbach), have seven children in a blended family.[5] [29] Annie was formerly married to Chase Koch.[30] He was previously married to Lauren Lahn.[5] Lahn owns a family farm in Belle Plaine, as well as a second home in Kansas.[31]
Lahn is a certified pilot through the Federal Aviation Administration.[31]
Electoral history
[edit ]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Zach Lahn | 80,765 | 37.65% | |
| Republican | Randy Feenstra | 79,113 | 36.88% | |
| Republican | Adam Steen | 31,087 | 14.49% | |
| Republican | Brad Sherman | 15,076 | 7.03% | |
| Republican | Eddie Andrews | 7,694 | 3.59% | |
| Write-in | 794 | 0.37% | ||
| Total votes | 214,529 | 100.00% | ||
Notes
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ "Iowa primary: Feenstra concedes to Lahn in tight GOP primary for governor". KCCI. June 2026.
- ^ McCormick, John (June 3, 2026). "Farmer Upsets Trump-Backed Candidate in GOP Primary for Iowa Governor". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ a b c d "Zach wants fast Lahn to Iowa governor's mansion". OurQuadCities. May 3, 2026.
- ^ Charter, David (June 3, 2026). "Why farmers handed Trump his first loss of the midterms". The Times.
- ^ a b c d e Carpenter, Tim (June 1, 2026). "Co-founder of Wichita private school contending for Iowa GOP's gubernatorial nomination". KMUW.org.
- ^ Pfannenstiel, Brianne. "Who is Zach Lahn, Iowa's Republican nominee for governor?". The Des Moines Register.
- ^ Carpenter, Tim (May 29, 2026). "Co-founder of Wichita private school contending for Iowa GOP's gubernatorial nomination • Kansas Reflector".
- ^ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (May 18, 2026). "GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn invested in men's sexual health firm". Des Moines Register.
- ^ Sostaric, Katarina (November 6, 2025). "Republican Zach Lahn launches campaign for Iowa governor". Iowa Public Radio.
- ^ Henderson, O. Kay (March 13, 2026). "Zach Lahn files paperwork to run for governor". Radio Iowa.
- ^ a b Allen, Jonathan (June 2, 2026). "MAHA-backed Zach Lahn defeats Trump-backed Randy Feenstra in Iowa GOP primary for governor". NBC News.
- ^ Knowles, Hannah; Allison, Natalie (June 2, 2026). "Trump's pick for Iowa governor loses GOP primary in upset". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Rep. Randy Feenstra concedes to Zach Lahn in 2026 Iowa GOP gubernatorial primary". News From The States. June 2, 2026.
- ^ Fingerhut, Hannah (June 3, 2026). "Trump Suffers Rare Loss In Iowa Gubernatorial Race". HuffPost .
- ^ Vakil, Caroline (June 3, 2026). "Lahn, Sand poised for head-to-head matchup for Iowa governor".
- ^ a b Stein, Chris (June 3, 2026). "Zach Lahn's win in Iowa is a rare rebuke to Trump, who still has an iron grip on the party". The Guardian .
- ^ Benson, Samuel (June 3, 2026). "Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra loses Iowa governor primary". Politico.
- ^ Walsh, Joe (June 3, 2026). "Zach Lahn projected to win Iowa GOP governor primary, upsetting Trump's pick in a state Democrats hope to flip". CBS News.
- ^ a b c d e f Popli, Nik (June 3, 2026). "'I Will Take on the Big Ag Cartels': How Zach Lahn Overcame a Trump-Backed Opponent in Iowa". Time .
- ^ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (April 6, 2026). "GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn wants data centers to pay more taxes". Des Moines Register.
- ^ a b Bosman, Julie; Salhotra, Pooja (June 3, 2026). "Political Newcomer Beats Trump-Backed Candidate in Iowa Governor Primary". New York Times .
- ^ Murphy, Erin (May 22, 2026). "Lahn: Boost sales tax for water quality, pause data centers". The Gazette.
- ^ a b Luhmann, Kadin (May 5, 2026). "Q&A: Iowa GOP gubernatorial candidates on abortion, eminent domain, ESAs".
- ^ Fingerhut, Hannah; Swenson, Ali (June 3, 2026). "Trump-endorsed candidate stunned in Iowa as anti-pesticide movement claims major victory". The Independent.
- ^ a b c Multiple (June 2, 2026). "Rep. Randy Feenstra concedes to Zach Lahn in 2026 Iowa GOP gubernatorial primary". Iowa Capital Dispatch.
- ^ Pfannenstiel, Brianne (June 3, 2026). "Who is Zach Lahn, Iowa's Republican nominee for governor?". Des Moines Register.
- ^ Werner, Kyle (January 29, 2026). "GOP governor candidates bash absent Feenstra, speak on abortion, taxes". Des Moines Register.
- ^ a b Glenn, Sophia (May 27, 2026). "A fireside chat with the gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn". Iowa State Daily.
- ^ https://kansasreflector.com/2026/05/29/co-founder-of-wichita-private-school-contending-for-iowa-gops-gubernatorial-nomination/
- ^ a b Pfannenstiel, Brianne (May 14, 2026). "GOP governor candidate Lahn frequently flies to second house in Kansas". Desmoines Register.
- ^ "2026 Primary Election - June 2, 2026". Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee for Governor of Iowa 2026 |
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