Rebecca Schweitzer on Iowa's 2026 Governor's Race and Why Iowa Needs a New Direction

Rebecca Schweitzer is a Des Moines, Iowa writer covering politics, healthcare, public accountability, and civic life. In response to ongoing discussions around Iowa's 2026 governor's race, this piece offers perspective on what is at stake for Iowa families and communities across the state. Learn more about Rebecca Schweitzer here.

Iowa Has Been Under One Party Control for Nearly a Decade. The Results Are In.

Republicans have controlled Iowa's statehouse and governor's office since 2017. That is nearly a decade of one party control with no meaningful check on their agenda. The results of that decade are now visible in the data and in the daily lives of Iowa families.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Iowa's economy ranked 49th in the nation for economic growth in 2024 and 48th in personal income growth. State data shows Iowa lost 2,000 jobs in professional and business services in 2025 alone. Iowa State University economics professor Peter Orazem has noted that since about 2021 Iowa really has not had any economic growth to speak of. Iowa's economy grew at only half the rate in the seven years under Republican control compared to the previous seven years.

This is not a single bad year. It is a sustained trend that Iowa's 2026 governor's race gives voters the opportunity to respond to directly.

I am a Democrat and I have written about why that matters and what I believe Iowa's future should look like. You can read that here.

Iowa's Young People Are Leaving

Iowa has the seventh highest net out-migration of young educated people in the nation and the highest in the Midwest, according to a 2025 report from the Common Sense Institute of Iowa. Forty-six percent of college students leave Iowa after graduation. Only about half of University of Iowa graduates stay in the state compared to 75 percent of University of Minnesota graduates who stay in Minnesota.

A college senior in Des Moines put it plainly: "I don't want to stay where things are not actively trying to get better."

Iowa's small towns raised these young people, invested in their education, and watched them leave for Chicago, Minneapolis, and other cities that offer economic opportunities and cultural environments Iowa is no longer providing at the same level.

The reasons are multiple. Iowa ranks 45th in patient to physician ratio. Maternity wards are closing across rural Iowa. I wrote about Iowa's maternity ward crisis and what it means for Polk County women — you can read that here.

Public schools are cutting programs and closing buildings. College tuition has increased as the state has shifted costs from appropriations to students — Iowa went from funding 64 percent of state university revenues 25 years ago to funding only 28 percent today. Young people are not leaving Iowa because they do not love it. Many of them leave because they cannot afford to stay and because Iowa's political climate has made some feel they do not belong here.

What a Decade of Republican Policy Has Produced

The flat income tax Iowa Republicans passed gave the average Iowa millionaire an extra $67,000 per year while the typical Iowa family received $600. That revenue reduction has consequences. State projections estimate Iowa will run an operating deficit of $900 million in fiscal year 2026. Iowa Legislative Services Agency data shows state revenues in fiscal year 2025 came in about $200 million less than what lawmakers projected.

The ripple effects are showing up across Iowa. Per-pupil spending for public schools has fallen $270 million behind inflation since 2017 according to state data. Iowa is spending more than $314 million on a private school voucher program with no accountability requirements while public schools cut staff and close buildings. You can read my full piece on the voucher program here.

Iowa farmers are filing for bankruptcy at the second highest rate in the nation. Farm income is projected to drop 24 percent in 2026. A quarter of Iowa farmers rely on the ACA for health insurance and their premiums increased by thousands of dollars when enhanced premium credits expired at the end of 2025.

Iowa's Abortion Restrictions Are Reshaping What It Means to Be a Woman in Iowa

In 2023 Iowa Republicans passed a six week abortion ban — before most women even know they are pregnant. The law went into effect in July 2024. In the year since abortions in Iowa dropped from approximately 400 per month to 260 per month according to Guttmacher Institute estimates. Iowa women who need abortion care are crossing state lines to Illinois and Minnesota or receiving medication abortion by mail from out of state providers.

In 2026 the legislature advanced bills to restrict access to medication abortion — the method that now accounts for 82 percent of abortions in Iowa according to Planned Parenthood data. One House Republican introduced a bill that would have made performing an abortion a crime for doctors. That bill did not advance but the direction of travel is clear.

Iowa women deserve access to safe reproductive healthcare. A state that bans abortion before most women know they are pregnant and then moves to restrict the remaining access point is a state making a deliberate choice about whose health and autonomy it prioritizes.

Iowa Is No Longer Protecting Its LGBTQ+ Community

In February 2025 Governor Reynolds signed a bill removing gender identity as a protected class from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Iowa became the first state in the nation to remove civil rights protections from a previously protected group. The law took effect July 1, 2025.

That change means it is now legal in Iowa to discriminate against transgender Iowans in employment, housing, public accommodations, and education. Iowa had protected gender identity in its civil rights code since 2007 — protections that were added with bipartisan support including votes from about a dozen Republicans at the time.

Then in March 2026 Reynolds signed another law banning local governments from enacting civil rights protections broader than state law. Fourteen Iowa cities including Des Moines had added gender identity protections at the local level after the state rollback. That path is now closed.

Iowa's state motto is "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain." How Iowa chooses to live up to that motto — or not — is a question every Iowan gets to weigh for themselves.

What is measurable is the impact on Iowa's ability to attract and retain residents. Civil rights groups, faith leaders, and business owners have noted publicly that these laws make Iowa less competitive and less welcoming. In a state already struggling with brain drain that is a cost worth taking seriously regardless of where you stand politically.

Where the Candidates Stand

Randy Feenstra, the Republican frontrunner, has made his alignment with Donald Trump the centerpiece of his campaign. His launch video highlighted his vote for Trump's tax and spending cuts bill. His campaign has positioned him as a continuation of the Reynolds agenda on education, fiscal policy, and social issues.

Feenstra has supported Iowa's voucher program. He has not indicated he would reverse course on abortion restrictions or civil rights rollbacks. His opponents — including Democrats — have directly stated he "supported Iowa's unaccountable voucher program that's jeopardizing Iowa's fiscal budget." Voters who care about public school funding, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ protections, and fiscal accountability should look closely at his record and what he has said he would continue.

Rob Sand, Iowa's State Auditor and the only Democrat currently elected statewide, is running on accountability, fiscal responsibility, and reversing the trends that have moved Iowa down national rankings. He has called for tighter oversight of the voucher program, income limits to protect Medicaid, and a government that works for everyday Iowans. His campaign's framing: Iowa's 2025 report card shows a failing economy, and the state needs a different direction.

Iowans who have watched the last decade unfold will draw their own conclusions about which direction makes sense.

The Question Iowa Gets to Answer in 2026

Iowa used to lead the nation in public education. Iowa used to have a growing economy. Iowa used to be a state where people built lives and stayed. The question for 2026 is not whether Iowa can change course. The question is whether enough Iowans decide they want to.

I believe Iowa is worth fighting for. I believe the Iowa that invested in its people, welcomed its neighbors, and built strong communities is still possible. And I believe 2026 is the year Iowa gets to decide what kind of state it wants to be.

Rebecca Schweitzer is a Des Moines, Iowa writer covering politics, healthcare, and public accountability. Read more at iowaraisedrebeccaschweitzerunfiltered.com. Follow along on Medium and on X .