National parties pour millions into Iowa governor campaign
The national Democratic and Republican governors’ groups are investing millions of dollars in Iowa.
With an open-seat election coming up Nov. 3 for governor in Iowa, the national groups that work respectively to elect Democrats and Republicans for governor have already donated millions to their candidates, Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn.
Republican candidate Zach Lahn, left, and Democratic candidate Rob Sand, right, are shown in a composite image.
The RGA Right Direction PAC, a super PAC operated by the Republican Governors Association, donated more than $5 million to Lahn between June 5 and July 10, according to state campaign fundraising reports filed Monday.
The Democratic Governors Association donated $2.5 million to Sand on July 13, according to the reports.
Sand, the state auditor from Decorah, and Lahn, a venture firm business owner from Belle Plaine, are running to be Iowa’s next governor.
Republican incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has held the office since 2017, is not seeking another term.
Three prominent national election forecasters — Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections — all view Iowa’s gubernatorial election as a toss-up.
The new state campaign fundraising reports cover May 27 to July 14, including the final days leading up to Iowa’s June 2 primary election.
Sand and Lahn both had strong fundraising periods; boosted by the national governors groups, Sand raised nearly $9.4 million and Lahn nearly $6.4 million.
But Sand emerged from the period in a significantly stronger financial position, with nearly $18 million in his campaign account to just more than $1 million in Lahn’s account, according to their reports.
Lahn spent nearly $6 million during the period — $5 million of it after the June 2 primary, including $4.5 million to an advertising and research firm.
Sand’s campaign said the $9.4 million raised is a record for that period in Iowa by more than three times. It comes after Sand raised nearly $9.7 million in the first four-and-a-half months of the year and $9.5 million in 2025.
Sand spent $7.7 million on a pair of advertising and fundraising companies. He also donated $500,000 to the Iowa Democratic Party.
“Less than four months from Election Day, the Sand campaign is keeping its foot on the gas — and shattering state records along the way,” Sand Deputy Campaign Manager Emma O’Brien said in a news release. “This record-breaking haul proves what we’ve been seeing every day on the road: Iowans are ready for a new direction after a decade of one-party rule, not more of the same failed status quo that Kansas political operative Zach Lahn represents.”
Sand’s report includes more than 33,500 donations at an average individual donation, excluding PACs, of $167.
Sand also received eight six-figure donations during the period, including $500,000 each from Kyle and Sharon Krause, and another $500,000 from Gwendolyn Sontheim of California, a billionaire heiress of Cargill.
Lahn received three six-figure donations, including $300,000 from Jana Scharnberg of West Des Moines.
“Rob is spending more than a million per week and is going backwards in the polls. Our campaign has put up impressive fundraising numbers and will use our resources to introduce Zach to Iowans from every corner of our state,” Lahn campaign Communications Director Dan Capodilupo said in a statement to The Gazette. “We will make sure every voter in November knows that Rob Sand is a radical liberal. No dollar amount can change his far-left policy positions.”
