Iowa governor's race: 2026 result
Iowa · election of 3 November 2026Incumbent: Kim Reynolds (R)Updated
Called · unofficial countMuhlbauer (D) 55.5%, Wulf (R) 44.5%.
Rob Sand (Democratic) won the Iowa governor's race in the 3 November 2026 election, with 55.5% of the vote to Zach Lahn Derek Wulf's 44.5%, a margin of 11.1 points (151,267 votes). The seat changes from Republican to Democratic. Count as of November 11 at 1:14 PM EST, not yet certified.
What stands out in Iowa governor's race
from the count and past results- Democratic gain: Rob Sand won a seat Republicans held (Kim Reynolds was not on the ballot).
- Muhlbauer's party gained 16.5 points of vote share on the previous election for this seat.
- Decided by 11.1 points (151,267 votes): the 17th closest governor's race of 2026 among the 35 with a vote count.
Iowa governor's race: candidates and votes
Called · unofficial countGeneral election, 3 November 2026 · as of November 11 at 1:14 PM EST
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Sand Dave Muhlbauer | Democratic | 759,250 | 55.5 |
| Zach Lahn Derek Wulf | Republican | 607,983 | 44.5 |
| Total | 1,367,233 | 100.0 |
Democratic gain from Republican.
Related races
- Iowa Senate race · Josh Turek (D)
- Iowa: House districts in 2026
- Closest governor's races: NV governor (0.1), KS governor (0.7), FL governor (1.3), TN governor (2.6), AL governor (4.0)
- Governors results 2026: every race
Sources
- Votes and candidates: Wikipedia, 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election (revision 1385065728, November 11 at 1:14 PM EST), which cites the state election office and AP race calls.
- Race call and incumbent: Wikipedia, 2026 United States gubernatorial elections (revision 1385098388). A race is shown as called only when that article marks a winner.
- Text and figures from Wikipedia are available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Results are unofficial until the state certifies them; this page updates with the source.