The Des Moines Register reported Tuesday that “Iowa Republican lawmakers are advancing several bills that would rein in the governor’s powers with the office up for the grabs in the 2026 midterm elections.”
On Monday, House Republicans advanced a bill “which would require the General Assembly to sign off on any new major administrative rules that agencies use to implement various laws and reduce the length of gubernatorial appointees’ terms to four years.”
Iowa state representative Josh Turek, a Democrat running for retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst‘s seat, responded to the report on social media: “This sort of naked corruption is everything wrong with politics. Republicans are so scared of future Governor @RobSandIA they are attacking the office itself. Iowans deserve better than these political games.”
This sort of naked corruption is everything wrong with politics. Republicans are so scared of future Governor @RobSandIA they are attacking the office itself. Iowans deserve better than these political games. https://t.co/o2vX3sweQa
— Josh Turek (@turek4iowa) February 18, 2026
Note: According to Newswire News, which is powered by the popular prediction platform Polymarket, “Democrats are set to win the Iowa Governors race” — they’re given a 56 percent chance.
Iowa Auditor Rob Sand (the only statewide elected Democrat in Iowa) is the Democratic frontrunner in Iowa’s 2026 gubernatorial election, where candidates are vying to replace retiring Republican Governor Kim Reynolds. Trump ally and U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) is the Republican frontrunner, although he has yet to receive an endorsement from Trump.
In the Senate race, Turek is running against Iowa state senator Zach Wahls in the Democratic Primary. The winner will likely face Trump-endorsed U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson (R-IA) in the general election. Note: Iowa backed President Trump in each of his three presidential runs.