Adam Steen, who is one of five candidates seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination for Iowa’s 2026 elections, visited Carroll on Tuesday as part of an early 99-county campaign tour. Steen hosted a crowd of about three dozen on Tuesday evening at the Santa Maria Winery. Steen previously served as Iowa’s Director of Administrative Services under Gov. Kim Reynolds before stepping down from that role to run to become her successor. Prior to serving at the highest levels of Iowa’s government, Steen had a successful career in finance, consulting, and investment. He believes his experience in the private sector, combined with his 4.5 years managing state resources, makes him the most qualified of all the candidates, Republican or Democrat, to serve as governor.
He adds that the decision to run was not made on a whim. After much prayer and lengthy conversations with his wife, Kasey, and their two sons, Ryker and Maverick, Steen says he realized Iowa needs someone with traditional values and the conviction to stand up for them, especially given what is happening in other parts of the country.
Steen says tough decisions are rarely popular, but his track record speaks for itself. He cites the example of the former Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo. The state had spent around $2.5 million over the last decade maintaining the abandoned property. Steen says he saw that waste and got to work. He helped arrange the transfer of that property to the City of Toledo, which was then passed to the local school district, and the home now serves as a middle school. Additionally, developers are building new homes in the previously state-owned land around the former juvenile home. Steen says this is how he plans to govern if elected.
Steen also made a campaign stop in Audubon County before he visited Carroll. Steen finds himself in a crowded field of Republican primary candidates, including U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra, State Representative Eddie Andrews, former State Representative Brad Sherman, and Zach Lahn, an Iowa farmer and political advocate. The winner of the Republican primary will challenge the Democratic nominee, and the field currently includes Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand and Julie Stauch, who was Pete Buttigieg’s Iowa campaign manager during his 2020 run for president. Iowa’s primaries are scheduled for June 2.
