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Sen. Mike Bousselot announces exploratory committee for governor's race • Iowa Capital Dispatch [1]
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Date: 2025-04
State Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, announced Monday he is exploring a 2026 gubernatorial bid.
His announcement, posted on the social media platform X, comes less than two weeks after Gov. Kim Reynolds said she would not seek another term as governor in the upcoming election.
Reynolds has held office since 2017, taking the position after former Gov. Terry Branstad vacated the governor’s office to serve as U.S. ambassador to China during President Donald Trump’s first term. As Branstad had held the office since 2010, Republicans have not had an open primary field heading into a gubernatorial election for over a decade. The 2026 election will be the first time for several Republicans interested in the position to compete without an incumbent in the race.
Bousselot is one of the Republicans interested in competing for the governorship. He said he launched an exploratory campaign for the Iowa governor’s race Monday, thanking Reynolds for her leadership in a statement and saying he has received encouragement from others to run.
“The next governor has big shoes to fill,” he said. “I am honored by the calls asking me to consider running for governor. I am exploring this run because our next governor of Iowa should be a leader who listens to the people, acts on principle and works tirelessly to deliver results.”
Bousselot has served as state senator for Iowa’s Senate District 21 since 2023. He first took elected office in 2021, winning a special election to represent House District 37 from 2021 through 2023. Before his election, Bousselot served as the director of the Department of Management under Reynolds and as Branstad’s chief of staff in the governor’s office.
Branstad was one of the people who have encouraged Bousselot to run for governor, according to the news release. The former governor said in a statement he was “pleased Mike Bousselot is considering running for governor.”
“I have known Mike since 2009,” Branstad said. “… Mike worked hand-in-hand with President Trump’s team during the president’s first term, and he will be a fighter for President Trump again. Mike has the work ethic, vision and character necessary to lead Iowa to an even brighter future.”
Alongside Bousselot, several other Republicans have expressed interest in the position. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird indicated in a statement she is considering a run, and House Speaker Pat Grassley told reporters last week he is “not ruling anything out” when considering a 2026 gubernatorial bid. The Des Moines Register reported State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, is also considering running for the position. One Republican, former GOP state Rep. Brad Sherman, announced his gubernatorial campaign prior to Reynolds announcing she would not run for reelection.
Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, the sole Democrat to hold statewide elected office, has not officially announced plans to run for governor in 2026, but is widely expected to join the race after having raised significant funds leading into the upcoming election season.
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