Iowa Gubernatorial Candidates Clash Over Farmland Ownership Policies

Gubernatorial candidates Zach Lahn and Rob Sand are centering their campaigns on curbing corporate and out-of-state ownership of Iowa agricultural land. Lahn, the Republican candidate, proposes human-level disclosure of land ownership to prevent the use of LLCs to circumvent state laws. He has pledged to confiscate land illegally owned by China to sell to veterans and young farmers.

Sand, the Democratic candidate, proposes taxing out-of-state landowners at higher rates and banning hedge funds and LLCs from purchasing excessive amounts of land. Both candidates have suggested lowering property taxes for residents who live and farm within the state.

Researchers from Iowa State University challenge the premise of these campaigns, arguing that the rise in LLC and trust ownership is primarily driven by family succession planning. Data indicates that foreign-held agricultural land in Iowa has remained under 2 percent from 2010 to 2023, with most of that land utilized for energy projects. Experts suggest that high land prices, rather than the type of owning entity, constitute the primary barrier for new farmers.

Critics of Lahn point to a contradiction in his platform, reporting that he has used his own network of LLCs to purchase land in Iowa and Montana while residing in Kansas.