Gov. Kim Reynolds announced on Friday morning that she will not run for reelection next year.
“Today I want to share a personal decision with you, one that was not made lightly, but comes with a full heart and a deep sense of gratitude,” the governor said in a video posted on social media. “After a lot of thought, prayer and conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek reelection in 2026.”
The governor said she is leaving politics to spend more time with her family, citing her family’s support of her political career from her days as Clarke County treasurer, through her partial term as a state senator, her time as Terry Branstad’s lieutenant governor and then as governor after Branstad was appointed ambassador to China by President Trump in 2017.
“[N]ow it’s time for me to be there for them” Reynolds said.
The governor said that despite her decision, she is “not slowing down just yet. I’ll be working hard for you every single day until my term ends.” She added, “I have no doubt that Iowa and our Republican Party will remain in great hands.”
Reynolds’ announcement comes one day after Morning Consult published its latest quarterly tracking poll of the approval ratings of governors. Out of all 50 state governors, Reynolds was the only one who had more people disapprove of her actions than approve.
“With the highest disapproval rating of any U.S. governor (49%), Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa), who is up for re-election next year, remains the most unpopular governor for the fifth quarter in a row,” Morning Consult said in its summary of the polling data. “She is the only governor who is disliked by more voters than not.”
About 30 minutes before the governor’s announcement, the Iowa Democratic Party sent out an email responding to the findings of the Morning Consult poll. The Democrats’ email listed possible reasons for Reynolds’ low approval rating, including “Under Reynolds’ watch, Iowa ranked 49th in economic growth in 2024,” and “Iowa ranked 48th in personal income growth in 2024.” The email concluded, “It’s time to replace Reynolds with a new Governor who will put Iowa families first.”
Kim Reynolds made history as Iowa’s first woman governor, when she was sworn in on May 24, 2017, following Branstad’s resignation. She also made history this year, by becoming the first governor in American history to sign a bill erasing a section of their state’s civil rights act. On Feb. 28, Reynolds signed SF 418, which eliminated protection for the civil rights of transgender and nonbinary people in Iowa.
