Trump-backed Republican falls to Turning Point USA insurgent as baby-faced Democrat surges in Iowa

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 05:22, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 05:24, 3 June 2026 Iowa Republicans have handed Donald Trump a humbling defeat. The President's hand-picked candidate for governor in the Hawkeye State, Randy Feenstra, was defeated Tuesday by Zach Lahn, an insurgent candidate affiliated with the Make America Healthy Again Movement. Feenstra conceded the race in remarks before supporters late Tuesday, even as he trailed Lahn by just under 2,000 votes. Lahn advances to face off against Rob Sand, the only Democrat currently elected statewide in the Hawkeye state, in November's general election. Sand ran in Tuesday's primary unopposed in his party. Lahn enjoyed the backing of Turning Point Action, the political arm affiliated with the late conservative luminary Charlie Kirk, and successfully framed Feenstra, a three-term congressman from the northwestern part of the state, as the 'establishment, no show candidate.' Though Trump endorsed Feenstra, he did so after thousands of early votes in Iowa had already been cast, a potentially fateful choice in a race decided by such a thin margin. A candidate needed more than 35 percent of the vote to avoid going to the party convention to decide the nominee - and the outcome was a surprise to many political observers. Sand, 43, could become the first Democrat governor since Chet Culver, who was in office from 2007 to 2011. Republican gubernatorial candidate Congressman Randy Feenstra speaks to guests during a campaign event at the Silo City farm on May 30, 2026 near Sioux Rapids, Iowa Iowa democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand votes on primary Election Day, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa Sand's personal characteristics of being a churchgoer and a deer hunter are helping him relate to fellow Iowans. Early polling showed Sand with a double-digit lead over Feenstra, the favored candidate. It's unclear how Lahn will match-up against the Democrat.   Lahn is a farmer and businessman who ran on an 'Iowa First' agenda and campaigned as a supporter of Robert F Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again' movement.  One late poll showed him narrowly leading the front-running Feenstra with strong support among evangelical conservatives and MAGA Republicans. Sand has won statewide elections twice for State Auditor, in 2018 and 2022.  Sand has run his office prioritizing issues such as uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse in government.  His office reports identifying more than $29 million in misspent taxpayer funds, and Sand has argued that he uncovered more waste and abuse during his first term than any auditor in state history. During his campaign, he has emphasized a commitment to transparency, accountability, and protecting taxpayer dollars, a tune similar to one that Republicans, particularly in Washington, DC, have been singing loudly in recent months. Republican insurgent Zach Lahn benefited from backing from the MAHA movement and Turning Point USA's political action committee President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on April 16, 2026 in Washington, DC While serving as Assistant Attorney General, Sand helped uncover a lottery fraud scandal - later writing a book about it that was turned into a documentary, boosting his name recognition. Sand has $18.3 million cash on hand, though a significant chunk has come from his wife and in-laws.  As recently as 2020, Democrats held three of Iowa's four congressional seats, now all in Republican hands. That year's Trump wave swept Republicans into every federal office and delivered commanding GOP majorities in the state legislature. Democrats also have high hopes in Iowa's Senate race, where Josh Turek, a state representative and paralympian, will run as an underdog against Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson - hand-picked by Trump and fellow Republicans to succeed Senator Joni Ernst. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.