The fundraising leaders in Iowa’s race for governor have filed the paperwork to qualify for the June primary ballots.
Candidates for governor are required to submit at least 3500 signatures from eligible Iowa voters on petitions and have at least 100 signatures from 19 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Democrat Rob Sand said the over 24,000 signatures his campaign submitted is a record and one-fifth of them came from independents and Republicans.
“I think this is more emphasis and proof of momentum,” Sand said. “…This was a 99 county operation. In fact, we are very close to 100 signatures in all 99 counties for this, so that we’re showing not just strength in heavily populated areas, but no matter where you live in the state of Iowa, you’ve got neighbors that signed to help us getin on the ballot here.”
Republican Randy Feenstra told reporters people from all 99 counties signed his nominating petitions. “Doubled the amount of signatures that we needed,” Feenstra said. “You need 3500. We submitted over 7500. Just a great day. Trying to take Iowa to new heights. That’s my vision and my whole goal.”
Feenstra is likely to face four other Republicans in the June 2 GOP Primary, candidates who’ve criticized Feenstra for failing to appear with them in debates. “I tell you what, every day we’re on the campaign trail, hitting every Pizza Ranch,” Feenstra said. “We have meet and greets all over the state every day. I think we’ve done 80-85 stops now, but it’s listening to people, listening to Iowans, making sure that I’m earning every single vote.”
Feenstra, who raised over $4 million for his campaign for governor last year, is spending more than a million dollars on a statewide ad campaign — targeting Sand, the likely Democratic Party nominee for governor. “We know that if he becomes governor, he would take this state and make it look like California or Minnesota or Illinois,” Feenstra said. “We can’t have that.”
Sand, who raised over $9.5 million in 2025 for his campaign for governor, told reporters Feenstra has to run a different campaign because he faces a competitive primary. “Whoever it is that comes out on the other side is going to be someone that is going to continue the direction that Kim Reynolds has been putting the state on,” Sand said, “and I think most Iowans are interested in a new direction.”
Candidates have until 5 p.m. this Friday to submit nominationg petitions for the primary. So far Brad Sherman, a Republican from Williamsburg, is the only other candidate for governor who has done so.