Iowa governor race sees record fundraising

Iowa’s competitive congressional and statewide races have brought in record high campaign fundraising hauls for the state ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026 election.

Iowa’s race for governor between Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn has shattered the state’s previous fundraising records within a gubernatorial race. According to reports from the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, Sand and Lahn have raised a combined total of $81 million dollars over the course of the campaign, breaking the previous $36 million combined total record set by current Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Democrat Fred Hubbell in the 2018 election.

Sand has raised more than twice as much as Lahn over the course of the 2026 campaign season at nearly $54.15 million to the Republican candidate’s $26.94 million. But Lahn pulled slightly ahead in the campaign finance reporting period from July 15 to Oct. 14. Lahn raised $16.87 million in the most recent period, while Sand raised $16.31 million.

Lahn’s fundraising in the most recent reporting period was more than he had raised in total receipts up to that point. This is in part because Lahn emerged as the Republican nominee following a contentious GOP gubernatorial primary. Lahn defeated U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the primary, by less than a percentage point in the June 2 election, as well as three other Republican candidates. Sand ran unopposed as the Democratic nominee.

The latest campaign finance reports show Lahn received $11.8 million from the Right Direction PAC – the political action committee associated with the Republican Governors Association — in the recent reporting period. He also received $1.7 million from the Republican Party of Iowa.

Sand’s campaign received $5.5 million from the Democratic Governors Association. In a news release, Sand’s campaign emphasized “nearly 95 percent of contributions were $100 or less, and nearly two-thirds of all donors are Iowans,” including Republicans and independents, according to a news release.

In the most recent reporting period, Sand received a total of $1.25 million from his wife, brother-in-law and mother-in law, who are a part of the Lauridsen family. In the previous reporting period, the Sand campaign did not receive any donations from his wife’s family, but Sand faced criticism for receiving millions in campaign contributions from his wife and in-laws earlier in the campaign.

“Hardworking Iowans are supporting Rob because they believe in his vision to lower costs, strengthen public schools, and put people over politics,” Sand’s Deputy Campaign Manager Emma O’Brien said in a statement. “With just over two weeks until Election Day, Iowans are fired up to turn the page on a decade of one-party control that has left them behind, and are ready to elect a governor who will make Iowa not redder or bluer, but better and truer. That leader is Rob Sand.”

Turek outraises Hinson in U.S. Senate race as outside spending surges

The governor’s race is not the only election drawing major attention — and money — into Iowa. Fundraising reports from the Federal Election Commission covering the period from July 1 through Sep. 30 show Democratic Iowa Rep. Josh Turek raised roughly $13.88 million in the most recent period. That’s more than four times the amount raised by his opponent, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, the Republican nominee, who raised $3.25 million. Turek’s fundraising for the period exceeded Hinson’s campaign fundraising total for the election cycle at $13.52 million.

The margin is smaller between the two candidates in total fundraising over the entire election cycle, but Turek still leads at $20.15 million.

But campaign fundraising is not the only source of money in this race. Other political organizations have also spent a vast amount, buying ads both for and against Hinson and Turek in the lead-up to Election Day.

An analysis published by AdImpact found $93.3 million in aired advertising spending in Iowa by Sept. 30 from issue group and coordinated campaign buys. More of this funding — $55.1 million — has gone to ads supporting Hinson than to Turek, at $38.2 million, according to the report. Spending is expected to keep rising in the final two weeks before the election.

The outside spending comes as Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat is considered a “toss-up” by political forecasters heading into the midterms, which could play a critical role in determining which party controls the Senate. The seat is currently held by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, who is not seeking reelection.

Further analysis from the Des Moines Register found the largest spenders in the race were the SLF PAC, aligned with the Senate Republicans’ Senate Leadership Fund, at $35.53 million and WinSenate, a Democratic super PAC at $28.27 million.

Libertarian Thomas Laehn, Greene County attorney, reported raising $11,033 in the most recent period for his U.S. Senate bid, bringing his election cycle total to $82,962.

Democrats hold fundraising edge in Iowa’s U.S. House races

Several of Iowa’s U.S. House races are also forecast to be hotly contested in 2026. All four of Iowa’s current U.S. representatives are Republican, but both races for Iowa’s 1st and 3rd congressional districts are rated by Cook Political Report as “leans Democrat.” The 2nd Congressional District race is rated as a “toss-up.”

The latest FEC reports show Democrats holding a lead in these three competitive races.

Bohannan maintains fundraising lead over Miller-Meeks

In the 1st Congressional District, incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks raised $1.72 million in the FEC reporting period, short of Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan’s $2.42 million in fundraising. Independent Michael Bridgford reported raising $148,447 during the period.

Miller-Meeks thanked her supporters for their contributions in a news release, calling the period “her best fundraising quarter yet.”

“I’m honored by the support of families in every corner of this district, Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike,” Miller-Meeks said. “They’ve watched me take on Big Insurance, take taxes off Social Security for seniors, bring home $209 million for our rural hospitals, and fight to stop corrupt insider trading in Congress. With their support, we’re going to finish the job.”

But Bohannan’s campaign said in a statement on the latest fundraising period that their campaign’s totals came “without a dime of corporate PAC money,” and show the momentum for potentially flipping the seat from Republican to Democratic control in the upcoming election.

There have been other funding signals that show Miller-Meeks is expected to face a difficult bid for reelection. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, pulled funding from the Iowa 1st District race earlier in October.

Over the course of the campaign, Miller-Meeks has raised $9.27 million while Bohannan has raised $9.58 million.

Trone Garriott leads Nunn in fundraising

Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, also boasted a fundraising haul of $2.36 million in the most recent FEC reporting period, putting her ahead of incumbent U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn at roughly $1.1 million raised in the same timeframe in the 3rd Congressional District race. This brings Nunn’s fundraising total for the election cycle to $6.05 million; Trone Garriott’s total to $7.65 million.

James outraises Mitchell in 2nd District

In the race to replace Hinson in the 2nd District, Democratic state Rep. Lindsay James raised more than former state lawmaker Joe Mitchell, the Republican candidate. James reported raising nearly $1.9 million to Mitchell’s $745,215 in the most recent period, while independent candidate Dave Bushaw raised $11,871. Libertarian candidate Rick Stewart, who is also running for the 2nd District seat, did not file a FEC report.

James said her campaign fundraising report showed “Iowans are ready for change.”

“Thank you to every person who supported this effort so far,” James said. “In Washington, I’ll be a voice against big corporations, private equity, and the ultra-wealthy that are buying our elections. I’m going to fight to lower healthcare and grocery costs, end the reckless war in Iran, and make sure every family in Iowa can build the life we know they deserve.”

While Mitchell did not release a statement on his campaign fundraising totals, he claimed in a social media post earlier in October that “over 60% of my opponent’s maxed out donors come from California, New York, and DC.” Mitchell has highlighted on the campaign trail that he is not accepting corporate PAC money, a position that distinguishes him from other GOP candidates.

McGowan leads fundraising in 4th District

The only Iowa race where the Republican candidate outraised the Democrat was in the 4th District, a longtime conservative stronghold in the state. Chris McGowan, the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce president, reported raising $173,476 in the most recent period, while Democratic former state lawmaker Dave Dawson raised $104,516.

Other statewide races share fundraising updates

An analysis from the environmental group Food & Water Watch of third quarter finance reports for Iowa’s secretary of agriculture campaigns found that Republican incumbent Mike Naig received large donation amounts from agricultural interest political action committees.

Finance reports show Naig received $50,000 from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation PAC, $20,000 from the Koch Industries PAC and around $80,000 more from pesticide, pork, corn and ethanol related donors. During the third quarter, Naig had more than 300 contributors with an average donation amount of around $1,800, according to the Food & Water Watch analysis.

Jones had more than 4,000 contributions during the same period, with an average donation amount of around $80, according to the environmental group, which has endorsed Jones.

Jones received $2,000 from the voter education branch of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 125. Contributions were otherwise from individuals. Around 1,700 of Jones’ donations during the period were from individuals for $15 or less.

In the race for Iowa Attorney General, incumbent AG Brenna Bird, a Republican, reported raising more than $4.6 million in the reporting period, bringing her election cycle fundraising total to $11.49 million. This drove her ahead of Democratic challenger Nate Willems, who raised $3.16 million in the recent period and $6.3 million overall.

Incumbent Republican State Treasurer Roby Smith also reported outraising challenger John Norwood in the period at $143,664 to Norwood’s $72,193.

While Republican incumbents raised more in these three statewide races, Democrats pulled ahead in others: Taylor Wettach, the Democrat aiming to replace Sand as state auditor, raised $778,147 from mid-July to mid-October, more than Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer at $201,970. Ryan Peterman, the Democrat challenging Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, also outraised his opponent in the period, raising $184,690 to Pate’s $48,265.

Cami Koons contributed to this report.