Lahn's Koch Ties Face Scrutiny as Cancer Screening Law Signed

Gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn is facing questions about his loyalty to Iowa versus his deep ties to Kansas-based Koch Industries, while Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks celebrates a landmark cancer screening victory and Iowa small business owners warn against new tariff hikes.

What Concerns Are Iowans Raising About Zach Lahn's Koch Connections?

Zach Lahn, a Republican candidate for governor, has built his career around organizations funded by Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held company in the United States. Lahn worked in several roles for Americans for Prosperity, the libertarian advocacy group created and funded by Koch Industries in 2005. He currently runs a Koch-funded private school in Wichita, Kansas.

Those Kansas roots are raising eyebrows among Iowa voters. Americans for Prosperity has consistently opposed environmental regulations, Medicaid expansion, minimum wage increases, and government intervention in markets. While those positions align with conservative principles, Lahn's silence on Koch Ag's 2024 acquisition of a Wever, Iowa fertilizer company for $3.6 billion has drawn particular concern.

The Wever facility was built in 2017 with massive tax breaks and development incentives, sold to Iowans on the promise that new suppliers would increase competition and lower prices. Because Koch Ag already owned one Iowa fertilizer plant, the National Farmers' Union vigorously opposed the purchase, arguing it would increase Koch's market power and their ability to raise prices for farmers.

Lahn did not publicly object to the acquisition. Now, as a candidate for governor, Lahn campaigns against Big Ag. His website supports