Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn, the candidates for Iowa governor, met for their third and final debate on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in Cedar Rapids, The Gazette reported. The Gazette and KCRG-TV co-hosted the debate at Prairie High School. KCRG anchor Beth Malicki and Gazette political reporter Erin Murphy moderated. Other candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The debate lasted 90 minutes, CBS2 Iowa reported. According to CBS2 Iowa, the candidates stayed largely civil as they talked about education, gun control, rising cancer rates and the state budget.

The seat is open. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has held the office since 2017, is not seeking re-election, The Gazette reported.

The candidates had also planned a debate on Iowa PBS. The two sides could not agree on rescheduling that debate with "Iowa Press" on Iowa PBS, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported in a story published by KCRG. Earlier coverage: Sand withdraws from Iowa PBS governor debate after family death.

Property taxes

Sand said he wants time to see how the property tax changes lawmakers passed play out before making more changes. "We need to live with this law for a minute before we decide what's good about it and what's bad," Sand said, The Gazette reported.

Lahn said his long-term goal is for Iowa to end all property taxes on single-family primary residential homes, according to The Gazette. "Could Iowa be the first state in the country where you can buy your home outright and not rent it from the government?" Lahn said.

Water quality and cancer

Both candidates stressed reducing nitrate pollution and other environmental risks, The Gazette reported. Lahn proposed more targeted water monitoring and conservation, with incentives aimed at Iowa's most affected waterways. "As we look at these most affected tributaries, we need to make the case of how do we solve one of these at a time," he said. Sand proposed restoring wetlands through a reverse auction in which Iowa landowners would be invited to sell land to the state for restoration, according to The Gazette.

Medicaid and mental health

Both candidates said more work is needed on mental health care and on the effects of Medicaid privatization, but they offered different answers, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported in a story published by KCRG. That story said that, as of a 2023 report, Iowa had two available psychiatric beds per 100,000 people, ranking 51st among all states and Washington, D.C.

Sand called for ending Medicaid privatization. He said denied claims lead providers to shut down because they are not being paid, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch.

Lahn opposed reversing privatization. He said removing managed care oversight from Iowa Medicaid would remove "about $1 billion in federal funding," Iowa Capital Dispatch reported. He called for stronger oversight and said managed care organizations should not be allowed to have "vertical integration." "I do not believe the people of Iowa want the government running their health care," Lahn said, Radio Iowa reported.

Both candidates said they broadly support federal Medicaid work requirements set to take effect in early 2027, The Gazette reported. Sand said he wants "a work requirement and not a paperwork requirement," according to Iowa Capital Dispatch. Lahn said, "I do not believe benefits should be going to illegal immigrants that are in the state."

Wages and data centers

Lahn did not call for raising Iowa's minimum wage above $7.25 an hour, The Gazette reported. Sand called for "12 bucks an hour." The two agreed that state tax incentives should not go to hyperscale data center developments, according to The Gazette.

After the debate

After the debate, Sand told reporters his goal was "Bringing balance back to the capitol building," CBS2 Iowa reported. Lahn did not take part in the post-debate media scrum. He told Iowa's News Now that he had a prior commitment, according to CBS2 Iowa.

Early voting was underway as of Oct. 27, ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, The Gazette reported.

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