Governor Kim Reynolds will not seek reelection.
She made the announcement late this morning in a social media post. “After a lot of thought, prayer and conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek reelection in 2026,” Reynolds said. “This wasn’t an easy decision because I love this state and I love serving you.”
During a news conference in February, Reynolds said she was proud of her conservative record and would seek reelection, so today’s announcement was a surprise to many in Iowa’s political sphere.
Reynolds got her start in elected office as Clarke County Treasurer and has served as a state senator, lieutenant governor and as governor since mid-2017. She said her three decades in public service have been an incredible journey.
“But as Iowans know, family is everything and through the years my parents and my husband Kevin, our daughters, and our grandchildren have stood by my side supporting me every challenge and every victory,” she said, “and now it’s time for me to be there for them,” Reynolds said in the video, adding she’s ready to support her family through “the next stage of life,
especially her 11 grandchildren, “to watch every track meet and basketball game, to see them grow before they’re all grown.”
Reynolds’ current term ends in early January of 2027 and she said she’s not going to slow down in the last 21 months of her term.
“We have important work ahead: keeping our economy strong, supporting our families and farmers, defending our freedoms and ensuring every Iowan has the opportunity to succeed,” Reynolds said. “I’m more energized than ever to finish what we started and to leave Iowa in the strongest possible position for the future.”
Reynolds, who turned 65 last August, was first elected to county office in 1994. She won her first full term as governor in 2018 and was reelected in 2022 with 58% of the vote.