Rep. Randy Feenstra conceded the GOP primary for Iowa governor on Tuesday, a shocking upset after he earned President Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement.
Feenstra announced in a speech to supporters that he called Zach Lahn, another Republican candidate for governor, to congratulate him. Lahn held a very slight edge in results around midnight Eastern time, but the Associated Press has still not called the race.
The three-term representative outspent Lahn, a businessperson and former GOP operative, by nearly $1 million and leaned heavily into his MAGA credentials during the primary.
Feenstra’s concession is a blow for Trump, who has seen most of his chosen candidates this cycle sail to victory or advance to runoff elections — until now. He backed Feenstra just four days before the primary, a last-ditch attempt to bolster his loyal GOP ally in a race that became increasingly competitive in the final stretch. Feenstra had asked for Trump’s endorsement earlier this year and began calling himself a “Trump conservative” in ads even before receiving the president’s backing.
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