Democratic
Rob Sand
Major-party general-election nominee.
VotePredictor forecast
Rob Sand favored
Lean D · predicted margin D+5.6
78%
chance to win
Poll-driven model · 12 matched polls. Full forecast history and methodology →
Republican
Zach Lahn
Major-party general-election nominee.
Other listed candidates
- Sondra Wilson · Independent
Polls
| Pollster | Date | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Marist University | 2026-09-20 | D+12.0 |
| co/efficient | 2026-09-16 | D+4.0 |
| YouGov | 2026-09-08 | D+10.0 |
| Emerson College | 2026-09-01 | D+3.0 |
| Wedgewood Polls | 2026-08-29 | D+5.0 |
| Suffolk University | 2026-08-23 | D+4.2 |
| Emerson College | 2026-08-04 | D+5.0 |
| Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research | 2026-06-27 | D+9.0 |
| Cygnal | 2026-06-19 | D+4.3 |
| The New York Times/Siena University | 2026-06-17 | D+1.0 |
| Echelon Insights | 2026-04-09 | D+12.0 |
| GBAO Strategies | 2026-03-16 | D+8.0 |
Other forecasts
Cook
Lean D (flip)
as of Sep. 17, 2026
IE
Tilt D (flip)
as of Sep. 17., 2026
Sabato
Lean D (flip)
as of Sep. 3, 2026
RCP
Tossup
as of Sep. 17, 2026
Fox
Lean D (flip)
as of Sep. 22, 2026
Silver
Likely D (flip)
as of Sep. 17, 2026
DDHQ
Lean D (flip)
as of Sep. 17, 2026
Published ratings are categorical, not probabilities, and remain independent of VotePredictor. Sources and update dates ↗
Past results
Every Iowa election for governor we hold a result for.
YearWinnerMargin
Candidate news
Vance Delivers 7-Minute Attack
Vice President JD Vance wrapped a rally in Iowa on Friday by turning his closing minutes into a pointed attack on one person—Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand. The vice president cast Sand, the state auditor who leads Republican Zach Lahn in several r…
Newser · September 19, 2026
Vance ends Iowa rally with 7-minute censure of Rob Sand - The Hill
Vance ends Iowa rally with 7-minute censure of Rob SandThe Hill Vance campaigns in red Iowa but barely mentions competitive Senate raceCNN Vice President Vance addresses RNC rally in Council BluffsWOWT Vice President JD Vance to make an appearance in Council …
Slashdot.org · September 18, 2026
Transcript: How Purple-State Democrats Should Talk About Trans Issues
This is a lightly edited transcript of the September 16 edition of Right Now With Perry Bacon. You can watch the video here or by following this show on YouTube or Substack.Perry Bacon: Good morning. I’m Perry Bacon. I’m the host of Right Now on The New Repub…
The New Republic · September 17, 2026
Transcript: Trump Rages Openly at Midterm Woes as Worst Poll Yet Drops
The following is a lightly edited transcript of the September 16 episode of the Daily Blast podcast. Listen to it here.Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR Network. I’m your host, Greg Sargent.The New …
The New Republic · September 16, 2026
Iowa Governor Candidate Rob Sand Doesn't Want Voters to Know He's a Democrat
Iowa candidate for governor Rob Sand is attempting to trick voters into thinking he is not a card-carrying member of the Democratic Party. The post Iowa Governor Candidate Rob Sand Doesn’t Want Voters to Know He’s a Democrat appeared first on Breitbart.
Breitbart News · September 14, 2026
MAHA Action PAC Donates $1 Million to Zach Lahn's Campaign for Governor of Iowa
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MAHA Action PAC has donated $1,000,000 to elect Zach Lahn as the next governor of Iowa. Today, MAHA Action PAC is proud to announce its donation of one million dollars to Zach Lahn's campaign for governor of Iowa. Th…
PRNewswire · Yesterday
Zach Lahn invokes Charlie Kirk, attacks political establishment at Iowa City rally
IOWA CITY — Republican gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn pledged Friday to buck lobbyists and special interests and reject the trappings of a political career if elected governor, casting his campaign as a grassroots fight to preserve Iowa’s culture and give vo…
Freerepublic.com · September 12, 2026
Democrat Rob Sand Double Digits Ahead in State Trump Won Three Times: Poll
Democrat Rob Sand led Republican Zach Lahn by 10 points among likely voters in a new poll of the governor’s race in Iowa, a state President Donald Trump won in each of his three presidential bids. Although Iowa has shifted rightward over the past decade, Demo…
Biztoc.com · September 11, 2026