Kim Reynolds says Lahn was ‘clear winner’ of gubernatorial debate

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn was a “clear winner” in a final debate before the midterm election against Democrat Rob Sand.

“And unlike @RobSandIA, he was unafraid to take a stand for our most vulnerable citizens. I’m proud to support Zach and Iowa First!” the retiring governor wrote in a post on the social platform X .

The candidates clashed in the latest debate on Tuesday hosted by KCRG and The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, following two other debates this month on Oct. 6 and Oct. 14.

In dissenting views, Lahn argued in favor of preserving Iowa’s culture, pointing to issues in education as well as his conservative stances on abortion and transgender athletes.

Sand vowed to veto any “culture war” issues and noted Iowa’s six-week abortion ban, calling it “incredibly restrictive.”

“Vetoing culture war bills to me is just a different way to say I want us to put 100 percent of our legislating time into issues that impact 100 percent of Iowans,” he said in a report by The Des Moines Register .

In an earlier debate , the pair sparred on several issues, including jabs surrounding family roots, culture-war issues, and Lahn’s opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine, before finally agreeing on property taxes. Both candidates suggested they preferred localities have more say on taxes.

Nonpartisan election forecaster Decision Desk HQ , a partner of The Hill, leans toward Sand in the upcoming elections, with a 70 percent possibility of him winning.