Democrat Rob Sand will be Iowa’s next governor, defeating Republic Zach Lahn, according to unofficial results.
The race has received significant attention as it represented a chance for Democrats to break up GOP control over the Iowa state government. It is also the first time in more than a decade that Iowa’s gubernatorial race was an open competition, as incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she would not seek reelection.
Unofficial results show Sand with 55.4% of the vote and Lahn with 44.4%. Jackson County voters bucked the state trend, giving Sand 3,975 votes compared to Lahn’s 4,541.
The governor-elect addressed Democrats and supporters at an election night watch gathering shortly after the race was called. Sand thanked his bipartisan coalition of supporters.
“Thank you to Republican, independent, public endorsers of this campaign for your courage and for your leadership, genuinely,” Sand said. “We do live in a broken, two-choice political system where it requires real listening to learn that a candidate that is in the other party doesn’t see you as the enemy. You listened… Iowa Democrats, you’ve had a hard few years here in Iowa, but balanced government has been r...