Next year is set to be a big year for Iowa politics due in large part to the fact that the race for governor is up for grabs, and a new name will be chosen no matter who wins. Additionally, many Kirkwood Community College students will be voting for the first time.
Iowa’s current governor Kim Reynolds, who has held the position since 2017, announced in April that she would not be seeking reelection in 2026. With the field now wide open, two main names have taken center stage looking at becoming the next governor.
Randy Feenstra, who is currently a U.S. representative from Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, announced that he would be running. Feenstra, who is a Republican, has served the northwest portion of the state since 2021 and has been seen as a relative unknown to most of the state.
Feenstra’s political views are very similar to those of current governor Reynolds, in that they are both moderate conservatives on the majority of the issues. Feenstra’s stance on the key issues such as tax cuts and the right to the Second Amendment are consistent with where most conservatives are today. The congressman currently leads the polls in the Republican primary and is expected to be the nominee for the election next November.
However, unlike the last four gubernatorial elections in the state, the Republicans have a true challenge on their hands from the Democrats. Running for the Democrats in the election is Rob Sand, the current state auditor since 2019. Sand has been seen as one of the most popular elected officials in the state, due in large part to his goal of being transparent in his position.
In a state where all six members of congress and the governor are Republicans, Sand is the only statewide elected Democrat due to his different messaging from most other Democrats.
Sand has run on a platform of being a fighter for all of Iowa, going as far as doing a town hall in every county this year talking to people from all walks of life. One of the main goals of his campaign is to restore the state government’s favor with the people, which has been hurt due to the unpopularity of current governor Kim Reynolds. According to a Des Moines Register poll, Reynolds has an approval rating of 45%.
Currently the polls for the race are close with Sand leading Feenstra by about 2% in a recent poll. If Sand wins next November, he will be the first Democrat elected as governor since Chet Culver in 2006. Sand,, at age 43 would be the youngest governor-elect since Terry Branstad, who was 35 when he was elected in 1982.
As many Kirkwood students will be voting for governor for the first time, this is a major race that will shape the future of the state of Iowa. Paying attention to the message of both candidates is critically important so that younger voters can stay in the loop throughout the next year.
Categories: Local News, News
