MAHA candidate beats Trump's choice in Republican primary for Iowa governor

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Businessman Zach Lahn's win in Iowa’s Republican gubernatorial primary over President Donald Trump’s pick, Rep. Randy Feenstra, delivered a rare electoral setback for Trump in a primary season that had handed him back-to-back victories.

The narrow upset Tuesday revealed cracks in Trump's coalition in the red state that helped the president mount his comeback, encouraging Democrats who are hopeful they can flip control of the governor's office this year. It also marked a potential breakthrough moment for the Make America Healthy Again movement, which has clashed with the Trump administration over its embrace of pesticides and backed Lahn's message in favor of regenerative farming and against large agricultural corporations.

“I will take on the big ag cartels. I will break up their monopolies, and I will get Iowa farmers a fair deal," Lahn said in his victory speech late Tuesday.

Members of the MAHA movement, a diverse coalition of supporters of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with priorities ranging from ending vaccine mandates to promoting healthy soil and organic food, cheered the win as a sign their political message was resonating with voters.

“This election is a signal that pro-pesticide does not mean pro-farmer,” said Tony Lyons, president of Kennedy-aligned MAHA PAC, which endorsed Lahn. “Zach Lahn made transitioning away from toxic chemicals the cornerstone of his campaign and won this election decisively with strong farmer support.”

Lahn, a farmer and former conservative political director, was relatively unknown in Iowa before launching his campaign in November. He championed traditional policies that appealed to Iowa's conservative voters, such as further restricting abortion and keeping liberal ideology out of schools.

But Lahn, who owns an investment company and lives on an eastern Iowa farm that had been in his family for a century, also carved out a niche with the MAHA movement, vocally rebuking agricultural monopolies and acknowledging health questions involving farming products.

MAHA activists loudly backed Lahn as they grew increasingly impatient with the Trump administration and its Environmental Protection Agency for actions they view as antithetical to making America healthier.

Earlier this year, they revolted after Trump issued an executive order aimed at boosting production of a controversial herbicide ingredient known as glyphosate. They also protested at the Supreme Court in April against glyphosate producer Monsanto's Trump-backed effort to protect itself from lawsuits.

Lahn has opposed liability shields for pesticide companies.

“Iowa has the fastest growing cancer rate in the world,” Lahn said in Tuesday's speech. “We all know something is terribly wrong. But too many politicians from Washington, D.C., to Des Moines have had their heads stuck in the sand while big ag and big pharma printed money. This will not go on when I’m governor.”

Those positions helped Lahn gain endorsements from MAHA PAC and the late Charlie Kirk's conservative political organization, Turning Point Action. Figures from both celebrated Lahn's victory as their own.

“MAHA has done its job proving it’s politically radioactive to stand with chemicals over children,” Turning Point USA podcaster Alex Clark said on social media. “Iowa knows pesticides are causing cancer which is exploding in their state. Tonight they opted for change.”

Kelly Ryerson, a Florida-based activist whose social media account Glyphosate Girl focuses on nontoxic food systems, said she wants candidates in other states to take note. Ryerson had previously criticized Trump's endorsement of Feenstra, describing the congressman as “straight from the poison swamp.”

“Decreasing pesticides and improving food quality are common ground issues that drive votes,” she said.

Trump had stayed quiet on Iowa's gubernatorial race until last week, when he praised Feenstra as “MAGA all the way” and said he would “fight tirelessly” for Iowa on the economy and border security.

The power of the president's endorsement was proven earlier in the primary season, taking down two senators — John Cornyn of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

The Republican National Committee denied the Iowa results signaled a weakening of Trump’s influence with voters.

“President Trump’s endorsement is the most valuable force in politics and worth its weight in gold,” spokesman Zach Kraft said in a statement. “The record speaks for itself.”

Some political observers viewed Massie's loss as a stumble for the MAHA movement. The Republican congressman had helped lead a bipartisan effort to remove liability protections for chemical companies from the recent farm bill, in line with activists' concerns.

Trump campaign veteran and Iowa political operative Alex Latcham said Tuesday's result does not detract from the grassroots goodwill Trump has built in Iowa. After all, Latcham said, it was Trump who recognized and embraced the MAHA issues that middle America cares about, which led him to appoint Kennedy as health secretary.

Latcham emphasized that all five Iowa primary candidates ran pro-Trump campaigns. Ultimately, Latcham said, Iowans want to see candidates up close to make their own assessments. Lahn and others criticized Feenstra for avoiding debates and spending limited time on the campaign trail.

“At the end of the day the president still remains the undisputed leader of the party,” said Latcham, who currently serves as executive director of Senate Republicans' main super PAC. “I wouldn’t necessarily read into this as being a diminishment of the president’s political standing.”

But Feenstra's loss, marking a win for MAHA and a miss for the president, creates an opening Democrats may try to seize.

State Auditor Rob Sand, the lone Democrat currently holding statewide office, is the party’s nominee for governor. Unopposed in the primary, Sand has been able to hone his moderate message, remind voters of his rural upbringing and amass an $18 million campaign fund.

Lahn, looking ahead to November in his victory speech, pivoted from talking about cancer rates and family farms to the cultural issues that have riled up the GOP base in recent cycles, saying Sand would “veto any culture war bill.”

“Rob Sand is not a moderate," Lahn said. "He’s a liberal career politician pretending to be someone he’s not.”

Swenson reported from New York.

Zach Lahn, Republican candidate for Iowa governor, speaks to an environmental studies class at Drake University on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Iowa democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand speaks to media after voting on primary Election Day, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave)

Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, talks with Eric Branstad, right, as he campaigns for the Republican nomination for governor during a rally with local residents, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Zach Lahn, Republican candidate for Iowa governor, speaks during a campaign event Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Newton, Iowa. (Erin Murphy/The Gazette via AP)

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Anyone expecting Jared Verse to be the next Myles Garrett after Monday's blockbuster trade between the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams are already going to be disappointed.

For one, Verse can't literally step into Garrett's shoes.

“Myles he’s a size 13, Nikes, whatever they are. I’m a size 13½, size 14 Jordans. I’m not here to fill his shoes. I’m here to bring my own,” Verse said on Wednesday after taking part in his first practice with the Browns.

Verse said he has watched plenty of film of Garrett and keyed in on a couple of things he does. But he has taken some of the technical moves in Garrett's game and tried to make them his own.

Verse arrived in Cleveland on Tuesday afternoon and took his physical. He took part in individual and position drills on Wednesday as the Browns conducted their eighth voluntary organized team activity practice.

There isn't much time during the offseason program to bring Verse up to speed. The Browns have two more OTA sessions on Thursday and Friday before next week's three-day mandatory minicamp wraps up everything until training camp begins in late July.

Verse is going from the Rams' 3-4 scheme and playing outside linebacker to the Browns' 4-3 base and lining up at defensive end, which he did at Florida State. Coach Todd Monken said moving back to a 4-3 should be easier.

Verse had 4½ sacks en route to being the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. He had 7½ sacks last season, along with three forced fumbles.

“I think that this will allow him to do one thing and that is run off the ball, run into a dark room and disrupt. I mean, he’s gonna fit us like a glove,” Monken said. "I see his track ascending. I just see a world of upside by the way he’s wired.”

The Browns got Verse and three draft picks — a 2027 first-rounder, a second-round pick in 2028 and 2029 third-round selection — for Garrett, who set the NFL single-season record in sacks last year with 23. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said on Tuesday that any trade involving Garrett had to include a young premium player on a team-friendly contract

Verse, the 19th overall pick in the 2024 draft, is on the third year of his rookie contract. The Browns can exercise the fifth-year option on Verse’s contract next year or negotiate a long-term extension.

Verse was disappointed for a couple of hours when he was informed about the trade, until he learned that he was the key piece in the blockbuster deal that allowed the Browns to trade the two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year to the Rams.

“To know that this wasn’t going to go through if I wasn’t a part of it, it’s good to know that,” Verse said. "That was probably the biggest fact that brought some sunshine into this whole situation for me, I saw that, I was like, ‘Yeah, they want me.’ It was cool to know that.”

Defensive end Alex Wright thought the news of Garrett's trade was fake until he started getting news notifications on his phone.

Wright, who was sitting on his back patio of his house Monday afternoon, then had the same response of many Browns' fans.

“It was like, ‘yeah, let me go get a drink right quick,’” Wright said.

About the only one who wasn't fazed by the trade news was linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who was on the golf course at the Browns Foundation tournament.

“I was kind of trying to figure out how to fix my slice the whole time. That was at the forefront of my mind. Every hole it was there,” he said.

Verse spent plenty of time with Wright as the two worked on pass rush moves. Even though he is still getting up to speed, Verse has seen enough early signs to think he can fit right in.

“This is an attacking front. That’s kind of my style. I’ll be attacking. I want to get to it. I want to have a defined situation, just be able to do my thing every time without having to think too much or without having to slow down and read keys," Verse said.

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Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger walks on the field after the NFL football team's practice, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Berea, Ohio (AP Photo/David Richard)

Cleveland Browns defensive end Alex Wright stands on the field during the NFL football team's practice, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Berea, Ohio (AP Photo/David Richard)

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken watches drills during the NFL football team's practice, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Berea, Ohio (AP Photo/David Richard)

Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse (8) runs a drill during the NFL football team's practice, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Berea, Ohio (AP Photo/David Richard)

Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse speaks to the media after the NFL football team's practice, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Berea, Ohio (AP Photo/David Richard)