In a stunning upset Tuesday night, Iowa Republicans rejected Trump’s hand-picked candidate for governor, delivering a blow to the president’s aura of invincibility inside the GOP and raising new questions about the limits of his political influence.
Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra lost the Republican gubernatorial primary to farmer and businessman Zach Lahn, an underdog candidate who entered the race with far less name recognition and was initially viewed as a long shot.
The defeat makes Feenstra the first Trump-endorsed candidate for governor to lose a primary ahead of the 2026 midterm elections—a distinction no campaign wants attached to its name.
And it happened despite Trump personally jumping into the race days before voting concluded.
In a glowing Truth Social endorsement, Trump declared that Feenstra was “MAGA all the way” and promised that he would “never let you down.”
Apparently, Iowa Republicans had other ideas.
Lahn edged out Feenstra by less than a percentage point, winning 37.8 percent of the vote to Feenstra’s 37 percent after nearly all ballots were counted.
While Trump’s endorsement came late in the race and reportedly wasn’t incorporated into Feenstra’s final television advertising blitz, the loss is still difficult to spin away. The president attached his name to the candidate. Republican voters rejected him anyway.
The reaction from Trump’s orbit was telling.
One Trump strategist quickly distanced the president from the outcome, telling NBC News the defeat was a “Randy problem.”
“Clearly a Randy problem. Barely won his own district,” the strategist said. “But it is what it is.”
Translation: don’t blame Trump. But that’s easier said than done.
For years, Trump’s endorsement has been treated as the closest thing Republicans have to a political superpower. Candidates have built entire campaigns around securing it.
Tuesday’s result suggests that even in deep-red states, a Trump endorsement isn’t always enough to drag a struggling candidate across the finish line.
Lahn benefited from support among conservatives aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement and won backing from former Congressman Steve King, who Feenstra defeated in a bitter primary battle in 2020.
Throughout the campaign, Lahn positioned himself as a champion of family farms and an opponent of special interests. Outside groups supporting him also attacked Feenstra as weak on immigration, while Feenstra’s allies attempted to make Lahn’s business investments a campaign issue.
In the end, Republican voters chose change. The result could have broader consequences beyond the GOP primary.
With Republican Governor Kim Reynolds stepping aside rather than seeking another term, Democrats see an opportunity to compete for the governorship. State Auditor Rob Sand, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, is already positioning himself as a bipartisan alternative capable of attracting independents and moderate Republicans.
