Campaign Almanac: Feenstra airs new statewide ad as he gets closer to Iowa governor run

Western Iowa Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra has released his second statewide ad campaign as he explores a run for Iowa governor.

The ad plays on Feenstra's 6-feet, 5-inches frame and his support of President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” that permanently extends several key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, provides additional tax exemptions for overtime pay and tipped workers, enacts work requirements for recipients of food assistance and Medicaid, rolls back renewable energy credits, and ramps up spending for oil drilling, the military and immigration enforcement.

“What do President Trump and Randy Feenstra have in common?” a narrator says in the ad. “Both stand tall for us. And both want big things for Iowa’s future. That’s why Feenstra backed Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ delivering tax cuts for families, higher wages for Iowa workers, and blocking Medicaid for every illegal immigrant Biden let cross our border.

“Iowa needs a Team Trump Fighter to keep our economy growing. Randy Feenstra’s rising to the challenge, and nobody else measures up.”

The Republican from Hull serving his third term in Congress also announced the launch of a finance committee comprised of top donors and business leaders in the state.

Feenstra’s fundraising hit $1.1 million in the first 24 hours after he announced that he is exploring a run, and crossed $3.2 million in three weeks, according to the campaign.

Official state campaign fundraising reports for 2025 will not be filed until January.

Among other Republicans, former state lawmaker Brad Sherman is running for governor, and state lawmaker Mike Bousselot and a few other Iowa Republicans have said they are considering a run.

Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has teased a run for governor, posting a video to social media that includes a series of clips of Trump praising Bird for being an early supporter.

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds announced earlier this year that she does not plan to seek re-election in 2026.

Wahls: Campaign raised $400K in first day

Zach Wahls’ newly minted U.S. Senate campaign raised more than $400,000 in its first day following Wednesday’s announcement, the campaign said.

The Wahls campaign claimed the total is a one-day record for a U.S. Senate campaign in Iowa.

The total included donations from more than 1,000 Iowans, with retirees and teachers the most commonly listed occupation for donors, the Wahls campaign said.

Wahls is one of three Democrats thus far in Iowa’s 2026 U.S. Senate election, joining Sioux City state legislator J.D. Scholten and Indianola chamber of commerce leader Nathan Sage. Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst has not yet said whether she plans to run for re-election, and Republican former state senator Jim Carlin has announced his campaign.

“I’m running because Iowans are working hard but aren’t getting ahead, and our grassroots campaign is proving that the people of Iowa are hungry for someone who will stand up to the broken establishment and fight for them,” Wahls said in a campaign news release.

Sarah Trone Garriott announces state and local endorsements

State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, a West Des Moines Democrat running for her party’s nomination to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn in central Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, announced a string of endorsements from more than a dozen state and local elected officials.

The list includes fellow Iowa Senate Democrats Izaah Knox of Des Moines, Matt Blake of Urbandale and Art Staed of Cedar Rapids; House Democrats Dan Gosa of Davenport and Larry McBurney of Urbandale; and city council and school members in Urbandale, Perry, Des Moines, Johnston and Waukee.

“I’m proud to have the support of this diverse group of elected leaders,” Trone Garriott said in a statement released by her campaign. “I know how to build a team that can win tough races because I’ve done it before to win Republican leaning districts three elections in a row. Together, we will flip Iowa’s Third District and ensure Iowans have a leader in Washington who stands up for them.”

She is one of two Democratic state lawmakers who have launched campaigns for the U.S. House seat. Former Iowa House Democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst, of Windsor Heights, also has launched a bid for Iowa's 3rd District.

Konfrst recently stepped down from her position as minority leader to run for Congress, but will remain a state representative through the end of her term next year.

Political forecasters expect the race to be one of the country’s most competitive next year. Sabato’s Crystal Ball recently labeled the district a toss-up. Nonpartisan elections analysts at the Cook Political Report rates the seat as one that “leans Republican.”

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau