Take Five – November 5, 2026

Iowa voted blue at the top of the ticket and much bluer down the ballot than it has in years - but it did not hand Democrats the Iowa state legislature. Voters elected Rob Sand as governor, Josh Turek as U.S. Senator, and sent Democrats to three of Iowa's four U.S. House seats.

The Iowa legislature will maintain a Republican majority in both chambers, but those majorities will be smaller. The result is divided government in Des Moines: a Democratic governor facing Republican-led House and Senate majorities that can no longer override his veto on their own.

That is a sharp contrast from the last few years when Republicans held the Governor's office, both chambers by wide margins, and all four congressional seats. Sand will be the first Democratic governor elected in Iowa since 2006, and Turek the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Iowa since Tom Harkin in 2008.

In other statewide races, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig was elected to a third term and Attorney General Brenna Bird was unseated by Nate Willems.

Regardless of election outcomes, AAI will continue to be the voice of agribusiness speaking to elected officials both old and new, working to create an environment where agriculture can thrive.

Legislative Committee Meeting - Dec. 14

AAI will host a legislative committee meeting on Dec. 14 that will include further discussion of election results and AAI policy priorities for the 2027 legislative session. Other ag stakeholder groups also will join for a portion of the meeting to share their policy priorities. For additional details and to register, contact [email protected].