Questions Zach Lahn Still Hasn’t Answered About Living in Kansas Two Months into the General Election
DES MOINES – We’re over two months into the general election, and Kansas carpetbagger and career political operative Zach Lahn still hasn’t answered basic questions about how much time he actually spends in Iowa, how often he would travel back to Kansas if he’s elected, and how much those flights would cost taxpayers.
Lahn has been busy skipping candidate forums, picking fights with Iowa voters and reporters on Twitter, and praising Kim Reynolds’ failed legacy — but has not told Iowans how he plans to adjust his current living situation if he’s elected.
Now that Lahn has returned to the campaign trail after two months of hiding, Iowans still need answers to the following questions:
- How many days of your term do you plan to spend in Kansas while collecting a taxpayer-funded salary as governor of Iowa?
Lahn has said he would “be in Iowa as much as humanly possible” if elected. Iowans deserve a full-time governor, and the least Lahn can do is disclose how many days he will live in Kansas while collecting a taxpayer-funded salary.
- How much would your travels back and forth from Kansas cost Iowa taxpayers?
The Des Moines Register reported that Kim Reynolds’ $4.7 million state-owned plane, which she used for political travel, has cost Iowans “about $1,900 an hour” to operate, and “about $93,100” in total for her personal flights alone. Now that Iowans know how much these flights cost taxpayers, voters deserve to know if Lahn expects taxpayers to bankroll his commute to Kansas, too.
- When will you make your “arrangement” outlining how often you expect to travel to Kansas available to the public?
After saying he would only “move to and live in Iowa full time” if elected governor, Lahn refused to say how often he would need to travel back to Kansas and told KCCI “that’s something between my wife and I to figure out.”
- How do you plan to respond as governor if Iowa faces a security or public safety emergency while you are in Kansas?
If elected, Lahn’s responsibilities won’t end where the state lines do. What is his response to Iowans who are concerned that his out-of-state travel will leave the state without a leader during a natural disaster or other crisis?
- If you moved to Iowa in 2023, why did you not register to vote until days before the 2024 election — despite a key presidential caucus earlier that year?
Lahn “voted in Kansas in 2018, 2020 and 2022” and only registered to vote in Iowa right before the two-year deadline to run for governor. Why don’t Lahn’s voting records match his story?
From Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Terra Hernandez:
“We’re two months into the general election, and after spending most of that time hiding from Iowa voters, Kansas carpetbagger Zach Lahn still refuses to answer basic questions about where he lives and how much time he would spend in Kansas while collecting a taxpayer-funded salary. Iowans deserve a full-time governor who answers their questions, not one who runs from them every chance he gets.”
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