Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Takes on Big Ag, Chooses Controversial Running Mate
In a bold move, Republican Zach Lahn has announced his candidacy for Iowa governor, positioning himself as a staunch opponent of major agricultural corporations. His campaign promises to target the harmful use of chemicals and pesticides prevalent in the industry. However, his choice of running mate may present some inconsistencies with this stance.
On June 12, Lahn selected state Rep. Derek Wulf as his candidate for lieutenant governor, declaring on X, “Derek has been there for Iowans and I am very proud to have him partner with me on this campaign.” Wulf, who began serving in the Iowa House of Representatives in 2023, has a record of supporting agricultural chemical producers. His attendance at a White House event promoting the use of pesticides further highlights his connections to the industry.
Before stepping into politics, Wulf was employed by Cargill, a major player in the agricultural sector. His ties appear strongest with Bayer, a company renowned for its pharmaceutical products but which also generates half of its revenue from pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and seeds. Bayer divisions contributed $1,000 to Wulf’s campaign in both 2024 and 2025, a notable amount for a district of fewer than 32,000 residents.
The Modern Ag Alliance, an agricultural lobbying entity associated with Bayer, publicly expressed gratitude to Wulf and other legislators in a 2024 ad in the Des Moines Register. The ad praised them for supporting a bill that would have granted glyphosate immunity to agricultural companies, safeguarding them from lawsuits as long as warning labels were properly displayed. The proposed legislation, which did not pass, faced opposition due to concerns over glyphosate’s potential health risks, including links to lymphoma and other cancers.
Despite the Modern Ag Alliance’s statements, Lahn’s campaign denies Wulf’s support for the glyphosate bill. The bill never came to a vote in the House, leaving Wulf’s official stance unrecorded. Nonetheless, Wulf has cast votes advancing the interests of agricultural businesses. In 2023, he supported a budget that proposed cutting state funding for water quality sensors, an issue Lahn has prioritized in his campaign.
In February, Wulf voted to increase the threshold for designating impaired waterways in need of rehabilitation. He also authored a law preventing lawsuits against agricultural companies for greenhouse gas emissions, describing it as an “ag friendly bill.”
Wulf’s participation in a White House event where President Donald Trump expedited the approval of new pesticide ingredients, including chlormequat and bifenthrin, raises further questions. These chemicals have been associated with fertility issues and endocrine disruption.
Lahn is linked to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, seeking to appeal to voters concerned about health and environmental issues. Wulf’s legislative history may challenge this alignment.
In the upcoming general election, Lahn will compete against Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, who similarly emphasizes addressing the state’s increasing cancer rates. Sand’s running mate is Dave Muhlbauer, a Crawford County Supervisor and fifth-generation farmer.
