Four Republican candidates for governor squared off in what is expected to be the final televised debate of the primary season, discussing their positions on immigration, support for the ethanol industry and more.
State Rep. Eddie Andrews, businessman Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former state administrator Adam Steen appeared at the debate hosted by KCCI.
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra did not attend.
Moderators pressed the candidates on a wide range of issues.
On immigration, they debated whether legal immigrants should be granted work status through programs such as H-1B visas, which are reserved for people in specialty occupations like tech.
Groups such as the Iowa Business Council have said immigration is key to helping grow the state’s labor market, moderators noted.
Lahn said H-1B visas have been “abused” by those on the political left. He said he’s calling to completely end H-1B hiring in state government and by state universities, and he would like to see government contracts awarded to companies that employ Iowans.
“The reason is, Iowa people will do these jobs,” he said. “I reject the idea that our people won’t do these jobs.”
Sherman said he agrees with Lahn, but he knows some employers, including farmers, rely on immigrant workers.
“So you can’t cut it off right away,” he said. “But I’m all for growing our population, getting our people working. And I think when we do that, we’re going to see Iowa thrive.”
Steen said he supports Republican President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, which has cracked down on illegal immigration and focused on the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants.
Pressed by moderators about whether he supports temporary legal status for foreign-born workers, Steen said he does.
“If they self-report and they’re here legally and we know that and we’re tracking them and they’re paying taxes, I’m all for it,” he said.
Andrews suggested the state should prioritize helping find work for Iowans.
“I talked to a young lady who’s like 20 years old, literally 150 applications she put in, and she’s just looking for a reasonable wage,” he said. “And so I think we do need to prioritize Iowans and Americans here and as people come and are welcoming and assimilating into our society and become Americans second.
Some candidates say no compromise on eminent domain, ethanol support
Each of the four Republican gubernatorial candidates have consistently opposed the use of eminent domain for the construction of a proposed carbon capture pipeline across the state.
They were asked how they would balance that desire with the need to support Iowa’s ethanol industry, which is a cornerstone of the state’s economy.
But most of the candidates paid little lip service to bolstering the state’s biofuels economy.
“Even if you think that corn prices are going to rise through the roof, if you think this carbon capture pipeline is the best thing since sliced bread, it still does not allow you to take someone’s private property,” Andrews said.
Andrews said there’s no room to compromise on the issue.
“Under no circumstances is there a compromise possible,” he said. “All this talk about getting together and singing kumbaya and talking about this, time’s over for that.”
Sherman struck a similar tone.
“There is no balance on this issue that needs to be struck,” he said. “It shouldn’t happen. It’s private property, and we have to protect private property rights. That’s one of the foundations of this nation.”
Lahn said he believes carbon sequestration pipelines can be built safely, but he said he would prioritize private property rights.
“As governor, I would promote and protect the private property rights of citizens while also saying that we have ways to do these projects that are not … against what we’re doing with our foundational rights.”
Steen spoke most about the importance of ethanol to Iowa, although he said he thinks eminent domain should not be used for the pipeline’s construction.
“Iowa, again, feeds the world, and ethanol is important for us,” he said. “We will have year-round E15. And from a global perspective, Iowans, we need to understand that President Trump is working to create better trade deals across this entire globe for us.”
Randy Feenstra misses debate again
Moderators said the debate was taped May 16 to accommodate as many of the candidates’ schedules as possible. But they said Feenstra declined.
Feenstra has faced repeated criticism for choosing not to participate in Republican primary debates and many multi-candidate forums. He skipped an April debate hosted by Iowa PBS citing his congressional work schedule.
Lahn also skipped that PBS debate in protest of Feenstra’s absence.
Feenstra entered the race as the expected Republican frontrunner, but he’s so far been unable to comfortably consolidate widespread support going into Election Day.
According to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday, May 19, Lahn raised more money than Feenstra during the first five months of 2026, although Feenstra has raised more overall.
Democratic Party of Iowa Chair Rita Hart said in a statement that the GOP field is in “chaos.”
“Randy Feenstra couldn’t be bothered to show up for Iowans because he can’t answer for his votes to cut Medicaid or greenlight costly tariffs, let alone how he’s faced constant criticism from his own party,” she said. “Every Republican running for governor is promising to continue Kim Reynolds’ disastrous status quo: a failing economy, underfunded public schools, closed rural hospitals, and higher costs.”
Early voting has begun ahead of the June 2 primary election. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic candidate and state Auditor Rob Sand.
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Four GOP governor candidates talk immigration, ethanol in debate
Reporting by Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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