(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Republicans will now begin the process of selecting a nominee for governor after Kim Reynolds announced this (Friday) morning she would not run for reelection in 2026. Reynolds narrowly won reelection in 2018 in the middle of President Trump’s first term and Democrats won three of Iowa’s four U-S House seats that year. Reynolds — in a video announcing her decision not to put her name on the 2026 ballot — talked about her party’s prospects.

Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann says the governor called him last (Thursday) night to tell him she had decided not to run for reelection.

Kaufmann says he understands why Reynolds made the decision.

Kaufmann predicts there will be a robust primary with “several” candidates.

Dave Kochel is a political consultant who worked on the governor’s 2018 campaign. He, too, expects several Republicans to consider running for governor in 2026.

Bird, who has been Iowa’s attorney general since 2023, had been scheduled to speak at a news conference this (Friday) morning around the time of the governor’s announcement and reporters were told she was not able to attend the event. Kochel, who got his start in politics in the 1980s when he worked on Terry Branstad’s campaign, says he’s happy for Reynolds.

In February, Republican Brad Sherman, a pastor from Williamsburg who is a former state representative — announced he planned to run for governor in 2026. Sherman issued a statement saying he’s prepared to lead Iowa into its next chapter — and thanking Reynolds for her many years of service to the state.

Many Republican elected officials issued statements today (Friday), too, but none indicated they were planning to run for governor.