Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds Announces She Won't Seek Reelection In 2026

In a surprise announcement Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not seek a third term in office in 2026.

Reynolds, a Republican, has held the position since 2017, when former Gov. Terry Branstad was appointed U.S. ambassador to China . She was elected to full terms in 2018 and again in 2022.

"This wasn't an easy decision, because I love this state and I love serving you," Reynolds said in a video posted on social media. "But, when my term ends, I will have had the privilege of serving as your governor for almost 10 years."

Her decision sets up the first election for governor in Iowa without an incumbent in two decades.

Reynolds said she is leaving office after years of her family supporting her, saying now "it's time for me to be there for them." Her husband, Kevin Reynolds, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. In her condition of the state in January, she said his cancer remained in remission.