Iowa governor's race between Rob Sand and Zach Lahn tests Republicans' grip on state government

Iowans decide Tuesday who will succeed Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who chose not to seek another term. The matchup between Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn could break the GOP's hold on every branch of state government, and it has made Iowa competitive again in a midterm where Republicans face national headwinds, even though Democrats have fewer registered voters. Several major agriculture and business groups skipped endorsing in the race, according to ABC News.

Sand, 44, is the state auditor. He has centered his bid on fighting corruption and on his small-town background. He won his last race by fewer than 3,000 votes but has run ahead of other Democrats, particularly in rural areas. He blames Republicans for a growing budget deficit tied to tax cuts and education savings accounts, and he says he would counter their culture-war legislation while working with GOP legislative majorities.

Lahn, 40, is a first-time candidate who owns an investment company and farms land his family has held for a century. He edged out Rep. Randy Feenstra, Donald Trump's pick, in the June primary with roughly a third of the vote. He wants antitrust suits against agricultural giants.

Summarized by PolitiKool from ABC News’s reporting. Read the full story at ABC News →