Zach Lahn
American political candidate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zach Lahn (born 1985/1986)[1] is an American businessman, farmer, and political candidate. He is the Republican nominee in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election.[2]
Annie Breitenbach
Zach Lahn | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1985 or 1986 (age 40–41) Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Lauren Lahn (divorced)Annie Breitenbach |
| Children | 7 |
| Education | University of Colorado, Boulder (BA) |
| Website | Campaign website |
During his campaign, Lahn has described himself as an "Iowa First" candidate and supporter of the "MAHA" movement.
Early life and education
Lahn was born in Sioux City, Iowa and grew up nearby in Hinton.[3] He is a sixth-generation Iowan.[4] Lahn graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor’s degree in political science.[3][5]
Career
Lahn worked in Montana as a state director for Americans for Prosperity. He later launched the Wonder School in Kansas, at Wichita State University. Lahn also founded Homeplace Ventures, a company focused on agriculture and real estate.[3]
Lahn was previously a board member for FirmTech Inc., a company which sells sex toys and sexual health products. Lahn invested approximately $1 million into the company, before resigning from the board in September 2023. He is a 25% shareholder in the corporation, and states that he is contractually unable to disinvest his money. Lahn has defended his involvement with FirmTech, stating that he resigned from the board before the company began to sell sex toys, having previously focused primarily on medical products designed to treat erectile dysfunction and predict cardiovascular disease in men. He has stated that he chose to resign from the board as a result of his concern over the company's marketing and direction.[6]
Lahn also works as a farmer on his property in Belle Plaine.[3]
2026 Iowa gubernatorial election
Lahn is running as a Republican in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election. Lahn first announced his candidacy on November 6, 2025.[7] He filed paperwork to qualify for the ballot in March 2026, after submitting 6,100 petition signatures.[8]
During the Republican primary, Lahn faced several opponents, including Rep. Randy Feenstra. During the primary, Lahn attacked Feenstra as "soft" on immigration, while Feenstra attacked Lahn for investing in FirmTech Inc.[9] Lahn's campaign was endorsed by former Rep. Steve King and Turning Point Action,[10] while Feenstra received the endorsement of President Donald Trump.[9]
On June 3, 2026, Lahn won the Republican primary, narrowly defeating Feenstra and also defeating three other opponents.[11] Feenstra conceded the race that evening and later endorsed Lahn in the general election.[12] Lahn's victory marked the second time during the 2026 midterm elections that a Trump-endorsed candidate[a] lost a Republican primary race.[13] The Guardian described Lahn's victory as "a rare rebuke to Trump",[14] while Politico described his defeat of Feenstra as a "shocking upset".[15]
Lahn will face Democratic candidate Rob Sand in the November 2026 general election.[16]
Political views
In 2026, Lahn ran an "Iowa First" primary campaign for governor[5] that included support for the "Make America Healthy Again" movement.[17] Time described Lahn's campaign as fusing "traditional conservative themes with an aggressive critique of corporate agriculture, pesticide use, and pharmaceutical influence."[17]
Lahn opposes abortion and has called for increasing state restrictions on H-1B visa jobs.[17] Lahn also supports expanding environmental regulations,[17] gun rights, school vouchers, and religious freedom.[5] He has vowed to increase taxes on AI data centers by 500%,[18] while lowering property taxes on state residents.[19] He has called for a "complete moratorium" on new data centers in Iowa.[20]
Health
Lahn has vowed to improve Iowa's drinking water quality and address rising cancer rates in the state.[b] Lahn has pointed to nitrate contamination in Iowa's water,[21] as well pesticide poisoning as major factors to address.[17] He has also vowed to veto any legislation which would grant immunity to agriculture companies from civil litigation.[22] He supports a ban on mRNA vaccines, as well as de-listing COVID-19 vaccines from the market.[23]
Land ownership
Lahn has vowed to ban secret land ownership[22] and has opposed foreign investment in Iowa farms.[19] Lahn has stated that he will confiscate land owned by Chinese nationals and "give it to veterans to start homesteads."[24] He is skeptical of eminent domain, and believes it should be reserved for rare circumstances.[25]
Lahn has argued that "Wall Street hedge funds and foreign interests are buying and selling [Iowa] land, driving up costs, so our kids are priced out of the market. They treat Iowa land like it’s a commodity instead of our inheritance. They treat us like numbers, not neighbors."[22]
Personal life
Lahn and his second wife, Annie Lahn (née Breitenbach), have seven children in a blended family.[5][25] He was previously married to Lauren Lahn.[5] Lahn owns a family farm in Belle Plaine, as well as a second home in Kansas.[26]
Lahn is a certified pilot through the Federal Aviation Administration.[26]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Zach Lahn | 80,765 | 37.65% | |
| Republican | Randy Feenstra | 79,113 | 36.88% | |
| Republican | Adam Steen | 31,087 | 14.49% | |
| Republican | Brad Sherman | 15,076 | 7.03% | |
| Republican | Eddie Andrews | 7,694 | 3.59% | |
| Write-in | 794 | 0.37% | ||
| Total votes | 214,529 | 100.00% | ||