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Businessman Zach Rahn pulled off a major upset in Iowa’s Republican gubernatorial primary, defeating Congressman Randy Feenstra, who had been backed by President Donald Trump. The victory marked a rare electoral setback for Trump in a primary season in which his preferred candidates have been largely successful.
Tuesday’s narrow victory exposed potential weaknesses within the Trump administration in the deeply conservative state and emboldened Democrats who are optimistic about their chances of flipping the governorship this year.
It also signaled a potential breakthrough for the Movement to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), which has criticized the Trump administration’s stance on pesticides, advocated regenerative agriculture and strongly supported Rahn’s platform against big agricultural corporations.
“I will take on the big agricultural cartels. I will break their monopoly and bring a fair deal to Iowa farmers,” Rahn declared in his victory speech late Tuesday.
Members of the MAHA movement, a diverse coalition of supporters of Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with priorities ranging from eliminating vaccination mandates to promoting healthy soil and organic foods, celebrated the victory as proof that their political message is resonating with voters.
“This election signals that pro-pesticides don’t mean pro-farmers,” said Tony Lyons, chairman of the pro-Kennedy MAHA PAC, which supported Mr. Rahn. “Zac Rahn made transitioning away from toxic chemicals the cornerstone of his campaign and won this election decisively with strong support from farmers.”
Members of the MAHA movement, a diverse coalition of supporters of Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with priorities ranging from eliminating vaccination mandates to promoting healthy soil and organic foods, cheered the victory. (AFP/Getty)
Rahn, a farmer and former conservative political director, was relatively unknown in Iowa until he started campaigning last November. He successfully championed policies that appealed to the state’s conservative grassroots, including a blanket ban on abortion and efforts to exclude liberal ideology from school curricula.
Mr. Rahn, who runs an investment firm and lives on a 100-year-old family farm in eastern Iowa, effectively exploited activists’ skepticism about Feenstra, not participating in debates and criticizing his opponent for having a limited presence in the race.
Importantly, this candidate has also developed a strong following within the MAHA movement, vocally opposed the consolidation of farmland by corporate owners, and addressed health concerns related to agricultural practices and poor water quality.
In recent months, activists in the MAHA movement have become increasingly frustrated with actions by the Trump administration and its Environmental Protection Agency that they see as antithetical to making America healthier, and have loudly supported Rahn. (AFP/Getty)
Iowa is a prominent agricultural state with a powerful agricultural lobby that has historically resisted mandatory regulations on the use of chemicals in water. But dangerously contaminated drinking water is an increasingly pressing problem, with agricultural runoff causing nitrate levels to skyrocket and requiring expensive filtration systems in the state capital, Des Moines.
At a debate in May, Rahn characterized upgrading the water treatment system as a “band-aid fix” and said his goal as governor was to “reduce the nitrate load in the water and ease the strain on the system in the future.”
MAHA activists have been vocal supporters of Rahn in recent months, fueling frustration with the Trump administration and its Environmental Protection Agency over actions they see as counterproductive to public health. They protested earlier this year after President Trump issued an executive order aimed at increasing production of glyphosate, a controversial herbicide ingredient. They also organized a protest at the Supreme Court in April against President Trump-backed efforts by Monsanto to protect itself from lawsuits.
Rahn’s victory was praised by prominent members of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA (AFP/Getty)
Rahn has consistently opposed liability shields for pesticide companies, a position he emphasized in his primary victory speech.
“Iowa has the fastest growing cancer rate in the world,” Rahn declared. “We all know something is terribly wrong, but too many politicians from Washington, D.C. to Des Moines are holding their heads while Big Farm and Big Pharma print money. If I were governor, this wouldn’t happen.”
MAHA officials were quick to hail Rahn’s victory as their own. “MAHA has done its part to prove that it is a political radioactive entity that favors chemicals over children,” Turning Point USA podcaster Alex Clark commented on social media. “Iowa knows that pesticides cause cancer and are exploding in the state. Tonight, they chose to change.”
Trump remained silent on the Iowa gubernatorial race until the week before the primary, when he praised Feenstra as “all the way MAGA” and pledged to “fight tirelessly” for the state on issues such as the economy, border security and law enforcement.
The impact of the president’s endorsement was demonstrated early in the primary season, contributing to the defeats of Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
But Feenstra’s loss represents a clear setback for President Trump and creates an opportunity that Democrats are trying to exploit.
State Auditor Rob Sund, the only Democrat currently holding a statewide office, is the party’s gubernatorial candidate. Unopposed in the primary, Mr. Sund refined his moderate message, emphasized his rural upbringing, and raised $18 million in campaign contributions.
Mr. Feenstra conceded his race to Mr. Rahn on Tuesday and signaled his intention to unite in the interests of the party. He said he called Rahn to “carry the torch.” In his victory speech, Mr. Rahn indicated that he would look to November and use traditional conservative talking points to campaign against Mr. Sund.
“Rob Sand wants you to believe he’s a moderate,” he said. “We’ve seen this movie before.”
