On Tuesday night, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra conceded to businessman Zach Rahn in the Republican primary for governor in Iowa after voters in his party rejected President Donald Trump’s late endorsement in the race.
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NBC News is not predicting the outcome of the primary. But Feenstra campaign spokesman Billy Furst confirmed the concession had been made to Rahn.
So far, none of Mr. Trump’s endorsed candidates for governor, House of Representatives, or Senate has lost a primary in the midterm elections.
With 98% of the expected votes cast, Mr. Rahn received 37.8% of the vote and Mr. Feenstra received 37%.
“Obviously it’s Randy’s problem. He barely won his district,” a Trumpworld strategist said in a text message. “But that’s the way it is. So we follow Rahn and that’s fine. He did a good job.”
If no candidate received at least 35% of the vote, the contest would have gone to the state convention later that month.
Mr. Rahn is aligned with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, and outside groups supporting Mr. Rahn say that Mr. Feenstra is soft on immigrants.
He also appears to be benefiting from his own support, that of former Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who lost to Feenstra in a bitter 2020 House primary. When the race was called, Rahn was leading Feenstra in 16 of the 19 counties King had won in that contest.
The congressman took advantage of the president’s late support in a closing argument ad he received last week, portraying himself as a staunch ally of President Trump. He was also going after Rahn for investing in a company that sold sex toys.
Former state government employee Steen Adam Steen came in a distant third place with about 15%.
Mr. Rahn will now face Democratic candidate Rob Sund, who, without a major opponent, has already been able to focus his energies on the November general election.
Sund, the state auditor, has garnered national and international attention with anti-establishment messages attacking both parties and promising to be a governor “for all of Iowa.”
Some Republicans in the state say Sund has been running a strong campaign.
“It’s a very close race,” said Will Rogers, former Republican chairman of Polk County, which includes Des Moines. “Rob Sund is no dummy. He’s a sharp political operator, and I know they’ve already done a lot of the ground work here in central Iowa and other parts of the state that has been ignored or completely ignored by previous Democrats.”
Mr. Sund is the only Democrat elected statewide in Iowa. The last time a Democrat won a top race for president, senator or governor in Iowa was Barack Obama in 2012, and since then Trump has won the state three times. In 2024, the president won by the largest margin, 56% to 43%.
Trump maintains the support of a majority of Iowa Republicans, but some are struggling with his economic policies, including tariffs that are hurting farmers. They may be less willing to vote, especially without him on the ballot, and some may try to get their message across by voting Democratic.
Republicans lost a proven vote-getter after Gov. Kim Reynolds decided not to seek a third full term this year. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, who is completing her second term, made the same choice.
The governor’s race, the Senate race, and three of Iowa’s four Republican-held House seats are all expected to be highly competitive, and Republicans are hoping that new candidates will make a big splash.
