Kalona

Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn spoke to a packed house at Dutch Country Table in Kalona on Wednesday during a Washington County campaign rally.

Joining Lahn were Attorney General Brenna Bird, District 92 State Rep. Heather Hora, former gubernatorial candidate and State Rep. Brad Sherman, and Washington County Board of Supervisors Chair Jack Seward.

Bird opened the rally by introducing herself and discussing her support for law enforcement, voter identification requirements and Second Amendment rights. She also discussed her lawsuit against OpenAI, which she described as an effort to protect children from suicide.

Lahn then addressed topics including culture, education, affordability, cancer rates, water quality, minimum wage, grocery costs and questions about his residency.

While discussing culture, Lahn said he wants to preserve Iowa for the next generation.

“My commitment is that I will not do anything that does not help promote the culture that we want to see in the state of Iowa to make Iowa the best place to raise a family, to build a farm, to start a business, and ultimately to pass something down to the next generation.”

Lahn also addressed questions about his residency, and his family’s ties to Iowa and Kansas.

“For a handful of years, I actually lived in Kansas.”

He then discussed his family’s roots near his home in Belle Plaine.

“One and a half miles down the gravel road we live on in Belle Plain today, the farmhouse that was built by my great great grandfather, is a small cemetery called the Irving Cemetery.”

Lahn disputed claims that he is not a full-time Iowa resident, explaining that his children split their time as part of a blended family.

“It’s just not true. I’m a full-time Iowan, I’m a sixth-generation Iowan. We have kids that are in a blended family, they split time.”

Returning to culture, Lahn pointed to Minnesota as an example of how a state can change, arguing that Minneapolis has too much influence.

“Minnesota is now captive to the city of Minneapolis. … They literally evacuated a police precinct and let rioters burn it to the ground with no consequence.”

Lahn also connected opportunities for the next generation with affordability, describing Iowa as one of the most affordable states in the country.

“Better opportunities for them, more affordability, the ability to buy a home in the state. … Imagine being a kid in California or New York or Illinois trying to get ahead, when sometimes the government will say that up to 70% of your effective wages belongs to them. That is a restriction of freedom.”

Asked about rising grocery costs, Lahn attributed them largely to inflation driven by federal spending and consolidation within industries.

“I believe we have affordability issues, and we need to fix the underlying issues. One, the federal government spends out of control, and there’s rapid inflation. And number two is we have consolidation in industries that’s taking away choices and competition in the market, so they’re able to raise prices.”

On education, Lahn said he wants to change how American history is taught if elected.

“One of the most foundational things we can do, and I can do as governor, is reform the education system to start teaching the true history of America.”

Lahn also addressed minimum wage, a topic raised during a recent debate, calling it “a political talking point.”

“I think the minimum wage is more of a political talking point, and I think I read a statistic that 98% of businesses in the state of Iowa pay above the minimum wage. I think that's pretty good, and I think the market has largely just solved this issue completely. It's a political talking point—that's all it is.”

Early voting is available to Washington County residents at the courthouse from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Polls throughout the county will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.