Randy Feenstra gets last-minute Trump endorsement as he slips in Iowa governor poll

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) received a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump on Friday, boosting the congressman’s gubernatorial bid in Iowa as his numbers slipped in a recent poll.

Trump had been hesitant to pick a candidate in the open governor’s race, with incumbent Kim Reynolds (R) not seeking a third term. But the president opted to endorse Feenstra in a Truth Social post four days before the June 2 primary, saying “Randy is MAGA all the way!” The endorsement came the same day JMC Analytics released the results of a poll showing Feenstra trailing businessman Zach Lahn, highlighting Feenstra’s struggles to garner grassroots support in the race.

This morning: Poll found Rep. Randy Feenstra trailing businessman Zach Lahn 27%-24% in #IAGov GOP primary. Raises possibility that no one wins 35%, which would force convention to pick nominee.

This afternoon: President Trump endorses Feenstra to shore up congressman's chances. https://t.co/ZqPjEIjUbq pic.twitter.com/gp5ZZcLsco

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) May 29, 2026

Feenstra has represented Iowa’s 4th Congressional District since 2021 after a 12-year tenure in the Iowa state Senate. He has supported Trump’s federal spending cuts by voting for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and the president’s tariff policies despite pushback from Iowa farmers.

JMC Analytics conducted the poll from May 27-28, and surveyed 550 voters in Iowa. In their summary of the poll, JMC reported a slight lead for Lahn among MAGA Republicans.

“From an ideological standpoint, Lahn’s base is Evangelical conservatives, where he has a 33-14% lead over Feenstra,” JMC’s summary says. “He also has a narrow 29-28% lead among Trump/MAGA Republicans, while Establishment Republicans favor Feenstra 32-22%.”

Last month, Lahn accepted an endorsement from former U.S. Rep. Steve King (R), whom Feenstra defeated in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District primary election in 2020. King has a history of uplifting ideas described as racist and pro-white nationalist.

Since there are five candidates in the Republican primary, one of them must receive 35% or more of the vote to advance to the general election. If none of the candidates exceed that threshold, a statewide convention will be held to select a nominee.

Sand looks to flip Iowa for Dems

Tuesday’s winner will face Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand in the general election, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Although Republicans have dominated Iowa — a former swing state that voted for Barack Obama twice — Sand is making a legitimate push to give Democrats control of the governor’s mansion for the first time since 2011.

Sand has significantly outraised the Republican candidates, with a $9.6 million fundraising haul in the first five months of 2026. Sand also reported $18.3 million cash on hand on May 20, over 10 times more than the GOP candidates combined. Sand has received roughly $4.5 million from his wife Christine’s family this year.

Although Feenstra has raised over $5 million for his campaign compared to Lahn’s $3.1 million ($2 million of Lahn’s was self-infused), Lahn outraised him by $241,000 from Jan. 1 through May 14.

Two polls conducted earlier this year showed Sand beating Feenstra in the general election.