Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will not seek re-election

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. 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.