Iowa GOP gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn appeared on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on October 4, 2026, to discuss his campaign platform focused on agriculture, economic affordability, and public health. Lahn addressed the pressures farmers face due to high diesel costs, arguing that decades of agricultural consolidation and market monopolies have stacked the deck against producers. To combat this, Lahn defended his proposals to break up agricultural monopolies and target Wall Street hedge funds owning farmland, noting that antitrust actions align with historic Republican principles like those of Teddy Roosevelt and the Sherman Antitrust Act. He emphasized increasing funding for the Attorney General’s office to challenge anti-competitive practices and give farmers a fairer market environment. The discussion also turned to Iowa’s high cancer rates, which Lahn linked to nitrates, pesticides, and glyphosate in water sources. Despite President Trump signing an executive order to boost glyphosate-based herbicide production, Lahn maintained that the decision was misguided and emphasized local solutions, such as providing financial incentives for farmers to adopt practices that keep pollutants out of water streams without threatening their livelihoods. Lahn also highlighted his shared principles with the Make America Healthy Again movement and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pointing to chronic illness and food safety as key concerns. He outlined a state goal to have 80 percent of public school food grown locally within Iowa, aiming to improve childhood nutrition and promote food as medicine.
Source: cbsnews.com
