Trump Suffers First Major 2026 Primary Loss as Conservative Outsider Beats Feenstra in Iowa

Businessman Zach Lahn defeated Rep. Randy Feenstra in Iowa's Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, marking the first major primary loss of the 2026 midterm cycle for a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.

With nearly all votes counted, Lahn led Feenstra by less than one percentage point, narrowly avoiding the threshold that would have sent the race to a state convention. Feenstra conceded late Tuesday night.

Trump endorsed Feenstra just four days before the primary, calling the congressman "MAGA all the way" and praising him as a reliable ally on border security, the economy and law enforcement. Feenstra quickly incorporated the endorsement into a multimillion-dollar closing ad campaign centered almost entirely on Trump's backing.

But the late endorsement failed to stop Lahn's momentum among Iowa conservatives skeptical of Feenstra's establishment ties, as NBC News points out. Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former conservative political operative, aligned himself with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" movement and focused heavily on issues including cancer rates, water quality and opposition to mRNA vaccines.

Lahn also benefited from support from conservative activists and outside groups. Turning Point Action endorsed him shortly before Trump backed Feenstra, while former Rep. Steve King — whom Feenstra defeated in a bitter 2020 congressional primary — also endorsed Lahn, as The Washington Post points out. Early county results showed Lahn outperforming Feenstra in many areas previously loyal to King.

A person close to Trump's political operation told The Post that the endorsement amounted to a "Hail Mary" effort after members of Congress pushed the president to intervene on Feenstra's behalf. "It appears he was more substantially behind than the polls were showing," the person said.

The result represents a rare setback for Trump's influence in Republican primaries, which has remained largely dominant throughout his political career. In recent months, Trump-backed challengers successfully defeated several Republican incumbents and critics in congressional and state-level contests.

Despite Iowa's strong Republican tilt — Trump carried the state by 13 points in 2024 — Democrats view the governor's race as increasingly competitive as Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee, enters the general election after avoiding a primary and running on an anti-establishment message aimed at both parties.

Republicans have expressed growing concern about the race following Gov. Kim Reynolds' decision not to seek another term and amid signs that some voters remain frustrated by Trump's economic policies, including tariffs affecting farmers.