Republican Representative Randy Feenstra from Iowa is currently leading in a recent poll for the 2026 gubernatorial primary, as reported by a survey from the Daily Caller News Foundation. He garnered 41% of support, while other declared Republican candidates struggled to reach even 5%. That said, the poll also indicated a significant 40% of voters are still undecided, suggesting a fluctuating race.
Feenstra, who has served three terms and represents a strong Republican area in northwestern Iowa, set up a gubernatorial race study committee back in May but hasn’t officially entered the race yet. His position looks promising, particularly since his district makes up over a third of single-member districts, with him enjoying 53% support among likely Republican primary voters in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.
With nearly $1.5 million on hand as of June, according to Federal Election Commission records, Feenstra has solid backing from prominent Republican figures in Iowa. The survey recorded a net favorability rating of 33% for him, and analysts predict that his voter share might rise as more people become aware of him.
His potential candidacy comes on the heels of Governor Kim Reynolds’ announcement that she will not seek re-election after serving two full terms. Furthermore, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Byrd decided against a gubernatorial run, opting instead to focus on re-election for her current position.
If Feenstra secures the Republican nomination, he is expected to face Democratic Comptroller Rob Sund in the general election.
Recently, Feenstra has voiced concerns regarding the Des Moines School Board following the arrest of Superintendent Ian Roberts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for not complying with a removal order tied to his overstayed student visa. The school board acknowledged they were aware of Roberts’ forged doctorate credentials and that he falsely claimed to have attended MIT.
Feenstra criticized the situation, stating, “The illegal criminals who ran Des Moines public schools should never have been near the children of Iowa,” and emphasized the need for the entire school board to resign. He also took issue with Sund’s delayed response to the scandal, noting it took a considerable amount of time for Sund to make statements about the issue.
The Cook Political Report has classified Feenstra as a “skinny Republican” in the lead-up to the 2026 gubernatorial election, particularly following Sund’s announcement of his candidacy. Notably, no Democrat has held the governor’s office in Iowa since 2006, and Trump won the state by over 13 points in the last presidential election.
Feenstra has been serving in the House of Representatives since 2021 and is a member of both the House Agriculture Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. The poll of 600 likely Iowa Republican primary voters was conducted from September 30 to October 2 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. With about eight months to go until the June 2026 primary election, much could still change.
