Landowner group says property rights is still a major election issue

A group of Iowa landowners opposed to a carbon sequestration pipeline say the issue of property rights is still “one of the biggest issues in the state of Iowa” though fewer than 70 candidates on the upcoming ballot responded to a questionnaire about eminent domain. 

Kathy Stockdale, a landowner affected by the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline and vocal opponent of the project, said the leaders of the state “must stand up in opposition to this risky land grab.” 

“It’s time for individual landowners to stop bearing the burden of keeping this multibillion-dollar company accountable,” Stockdale said in a news conference Thursday. “Our elected leaders need to do their jobs and stand up for the constitutional rights of the people they represent.” 

Stockdale is among a group of landowners who have been fighting against the carbon sequestration pipeline and more specifically Summit’s right to eminent domain, or the ability to force private landowners to allow use of their property for infrastructure projects deemed in the public interest.

Landowners sent a five-question survey to candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state Legislature and several county level races, asking if the candidates believed eminent domain should be used for carbon capture pipelines, what they have done, and what they would be willing to do, to protect private property rights in Iowa. 

Both gubernatorial candidates, Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn, responded to the questions, but other races were less balanced in garnering responses. Only the Democratic and independent candidates for U.S. Senate submitted responses to the questionnaire. Libertarian and independent candidates in the U.S. House races responded to questions, but most major party candidates did not.

Overall, 28 Democratic candidates and 30 Republican candidates responded to the survey. Six “no party” or independent candidates and two Libertarian candidates responded to the questions. 

Emma Schmit, an organizer with Bold Alliance, said that if the names and party affiliations of the candidates were hidden from the responses, readers “wouldn’t really be able to tell what party they were from.” 

“Everybody that answered gave very similar responses of ‘No, this is unconstitutional; No, I don’t think this pipeline should go through,’ and so it just goes to show that there was really, I think, bipartisan support, and it’s really just a matter of right versus wrong,” Schmit said. 

Aside from Lahn and several folks running for county supervisor positions, the majority of Republican respondents were candidates running for Iowa House or Iowa Senate. 

Eminent domain has been a prominent issue at the Iowa Statehouse during the past several legislative sessions as lawmakers have worked to push legislation that would restrict or ban the use of eminent domain for carbon sequestration pipelines. In 2025, the issue led to a split among Iowa Senate Republicans, who traded jabs at one another on the Senate floor.  

Sand and Lahn both said they oppose the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines and said the state privilege to take land should not be used for “private gain.” Both candidates said they would sign legislation that would ban the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is not running for reelection, vetoed legislation passed in 2025 to restrict carbon capture pipelines in Iowa. A bill banning the use of eminent domain for the projects did not make it to her desk this year. Lahn or Sand, depending on who wins the Nov. 3 election, would be responsible for approving or denying future legislative efforts on this front, and on appointing commissioners to the Iowa Utilities Commission, which approved a permit for Summit Carbon Solutions’ project in 2024. 

State Rep. Josh Turek, who is running as a Democrat for U.S. Senate against U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, responded to the survey and said he was against the Summit pipeline and the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines. 

Thomas Laehn, a Libertarian running for the Senate seat, said he also opposed the projects and, if elected, he would work to eliminate 45Q and 45Z tax credits which incentivize carbon capture and sequestration and biofuel that is produced with a small carbon footprint. 

Deb Main, a Woodbury County landowner, said Iowa representatives in Washington, D.C., need to have the “courage to end the 45Q tax credit for carbon pipelines.” 

Michael Bridgford, running as an independent in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, responded to the questionnaire, as did no-party candidate Dave Bushaw and Libertarian Rick Stewart running in the 2nd District. All three candidates said they opposed the use of eminent domain for private projects. 

Dave Dawson, the Democratic candidate running against Republican Chris McGowan in the 4th Congressional District, opposed the use of eminent domain and said he would push for private property rights protections at the federal level, if elected. 

Greene County landowner Mike Henning said the website with candidates’ responses will help voters as they head to the polls, but he said he encourages Iowans who care about the issue to question the candidates who didn’t respond to the questionnaire. 

“Call them, go to their forums, write, ask the candidates to talk about property rights and stuff as part of their stump speeches and public interactions between now and the election,” Henning said. “Make property rights an issue for your candidate now, so they will prioritize it again in the Legislature.”