Iowa Rep. Derek Wulf tapped to join GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn’s campaign as running mate

Wulf, a fourth-generation farmer who has served two terms in the Iowa House, is the current chair of the House Agriculture Committee. In a news release Friday, Lahn said he chose Wulf to run for lieutenant governor as part of his gubernatorial ticket because of his work advocating for restrictions on the use of eminent domain in carbon capture pipeline projects, as well as leading legislation related to “right to repair” for farm equipment.

“Derek has been an Iowa First fighter for years in the legislature,” Lahn said in a statement. “Whether it was leading on Right to Repair, defending private property rights, or stopping corporate overreach, Derek has been there for Iowans, and I am very proud to have him partner with me on this campaign and look forward to serving with him at the Capitol.”

Wulf said in a statement he was “honored to stand with Zach Lahn as we fight to save Iowa’s future.”

“Our identity, our values, and our way of life are under assault like never before,” Wulf said. “Zach’s decisive primary victory proved Iowans are done with the status quo and ready for an Iowa First agenda that puts our families and communities first. Together, we’ll deliver the results our kids and grandkids will thank us for.”

Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement that Lahn “made an excellent choice” picking Wulf as his running mate.

“Whether it’s agriculture policy or the challenges facing rural Iowa, Derek is someone legislators regularly turn to for insight, leadership, and a conservative perspective,” Kaufmann said. “He’ll be a valuable addition to the ticket.”

The announcement comes just one day before the Iowa Republican State Convention on Saturday, where delegates are set to officially nominate Lahn as the Republican candidate for governor — alongside Wulf as the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor. Lahn, a businessman and farmer, won the nomination in the five man Republican gubernatorial primary June 2 — narrowly beating U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra. Lahn gained 38% of the primary vote, while Feenstra won 37.2%. Iowa Department of Administrative Services Adam Steen came in third at 14.5%, followed by former state Rep. Brad Sherman of Williamsburg and state Rep. Eddie Andrews of Johnston.

Some of the issues Wulf has worked on as a state legislator line up with priorities Lahn has highlighted on the campaign trail, such as a pledge to “take on the big ag cartels and break up their monopolies.” The Republican gubernatorial candidate, who previously worked for Koch-affiliated advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, has also said addressing Iowa’s high cancer rates is a top priority for his campaign, and he has been affiliated with the national “Make America Health Again” or “MAHA” movement.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, currently the state auditor, named Crawford County Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer as his running mate Monday. Sand’s deputy campaign manager, Emma O’Brien, criticized Lahn’s campaign for selecting Wulf, calling the Hudson Republican a “partisan insider.”

“If you wanted further proof that a Lahn administration would mean more of the same failed status quo and one-party rule that’s left too many Iowans behind, look no further than his selection of Derek Wulf as his running mate,” O’Brien said in a statement. “Wulf is a partisan insider who voted to gut the Auditor’s Office, opening the door to waste, fraud, and abuse of tax dollars, helped pass an unaccountable school voucher program that is draining resources from public schools, and even led efforts to weaken oversight of Iowa’s water quality. Iowans are ready for change after a decade of one-party rule that has left them behind, and know that they will only get more of the same from a Lahn-Wulf administration.”

Iowa Democrartic Party Chair Rita Hart similarly criticized Wulf for his support of measures such as the state’s Education Savings Account (ESA) program, in addition to saying the state lawmaker was “pocketing thousands of dollars from a Chinese state-owned company buying up Iowa farmland.”

Syngenta, an agriculture science and chemical company owned by the state-owned ChemChina, made a contribution through the Syngenta Corporation Employee PAC of $1,000 to Wulf’s campaign Dec. 11, 2025, according to reports from the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. The PAC has also made contributions to Iowa Democratic candidates, according to IECDB reports.