Iowa Poll Shows Sand Leading in Governor's Race, Hinson Ahead in Senate Race

A recent Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey indicates that 48% of Iowa voters support Democrat Rob Sand in the gubernatorial race, while 43% favor Republican Zach Lahn. Seven percent of voters remain undecided. In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Ashley Hinson leads with 48% support compared to Democrat Josh Turek's 45%, with 6% undecided. Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, noted that independent voters significantly favor Sand by a margin of 26 points and Turek by 11 points. Approximately 10% of Trump voters indicated support for Sand. President Trump has a 43% approval rating among Iowa voters, with 51% disapproving. Governor Kim Reynolds has a 44% approval rating and 47% disapproval. In terms of name recognition, Sand holds the highest favorable rating at 51%, followed by Hinson at 44%, Turek at 42%, and Lahn at 36%. Hinson and Lahn also have the highest unfavorable ratings at 40%. The economy is the primary concern for 38% of voters, followed by healthcare at 19%. A majority of Iowa voters (53%) prefer to maintain the presidential caucus system, while 25% favor a primary system. Opinions on the state-funded private school tuition assistance program are divided, with 42% supporting it and 41% opposing it. The Emerson College Polling survey was conducted from August 2-4, 2026, with a sample size of 712 likely voters and a credibility interval of +/- 3.7%.