Inside Elections Becomes Third Race Rater to Shift Governor’s Race to “Toss-Up”
DES MOINES – This week, the nonpartisan Inside Elections shifted the Iowa governor’s race to a “toss-up,” citing career political operative and Kansas carpetbagger Zach Lahn’s “vulnerabilities surrounding his current ties to Iowa.”
Inside Elections: “As the agriculture economy struggles with the effects of Trump’s tariffs and uncertainty in the Middle East, voters in Iowa seem interested in making a change. Lahn is untested and has some vulnerabilities surrounding his current ties to Iowa.”
Inside Elections is the third independent race-rater to move the race to toss-up after Cook Political Report and Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball made the same call — all in the span of two months. This new rating follows National Journal naming the Iowa governor’s race the second-best pickup opportunity for Democrats in 2026.
From Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Terra Hernandez:
“Yet another independent race-rater has moved the Iowa governor’s race to a toss-up. It’s no surprise to see why: Iowans are fed up with the last decade of one-party rule that’s crushed the economy, shortchanged public schools, and ripped away access to health care. Alarm bells should be going off for Kansas carpetbagger Zach Lahn because Iowans know he’ll be more of the same of Kim Reynolds’ failed status quo.”
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