I want to begin by briefly introducing myself. My name is Mike Rupp. I am a 22 year old Biblical Studies major through Emmaus Global Campus. After graduating high school at MMCRU in 2022, I moved to Dayton, Iowa where I worked on full time staff at Hidden Acres Christian Center. After 3 years on full time staff I moved on from camp in order that I might have more time to focus on my schooling, as well as be more plugged in to my church. I moved into an apartment in Ames with some guys my age and found a part time job that I love.
Until recently, I had little interest in the governor’s race. Like many young conservatives, I felt frustrated with politics. It often seemed that promises made during campaigns were forgotten once elections ended. I found myself wanting to disengage completely. I thought, “It’s not worth my time or energy.” The system felt broken, like “two wings of the same bird.” At the same time, I found myself dissatisfied with both sides. I’ve been uncomfortable with much of the tone and rhetoric within the Republican party, and I’ve also been disappointed by a lack of follow-through on key promises. On the other hand, my convictions, especially being firmly pro-life, pro-second amendment, and strongly opposed to the LGBTQ+ idolatry, mean I could never support the political left. From conversations with others my age, I know I’m not alone. Many in Gen Z feel disillusioned. There’s a growing sense that the system is not working for us, and many are simply checking out. I was one of them.
That changed when I came across a post from Zach Lahn’s campaign. Two words stood out: Iowa First. It seems obvious that our leaders should prioritize the people of this state, but in reality, that hasn’t always been the case. As I began to look more into Zach and his platform, I found myself paying attention again. I spoke with members of the campaign team, and even had the opportunity to meet with Zach for lunch at Hickory Park in Ames and talk about many of the issues facing Gen Z right now. After a couple of hours of deep, genuine conversation, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I ought to support his campaign for governor.
One of the first things I heard Zach say was that our nation’s biggest problem (beyond the spiritual battle going on all around us) is that our government is run by powerful, unelected individuals. An unknown uni-party you might call it. These people leverage their power to control both parties, at both a state and federal level. Just take a look at where these politicians get their money, and you quickly figure out who is pulling the strings. These politicians are told by their donors and advisers, “here are the things you need to talk about to get voters on your side, and here are the topics you can not touch, or we will take back our money, or worse.” This is not news to most of us. We know the system is corrupt. The question then remains, why do we keep letting it happen? Why do the establishment candidates keep getting our votes?
In contrast, Zach Lahn is his own biggest donor, and has made it very clear to these people and corporations, “I do not want your money”. He is in this race to protect the heritage of Iowa, and to make it possible for young people to live here, on land they own, with water that doesn’t poison them.
As I looked at the other candidates in the race, and found that no one else was saying anything about the cancer crisis in Iowa, the 25% of land owned by people who do not live here, or the fact young people are leaving the state at a rate faster than nearly every other state. Frankly, no other candidates actively addressed these issues until after Zach Lahn appeared on Tucker Carlson and Shawn Ryan. They would respond when asked about them, but it was obvious that the biggest issues in the state were not of a concern to others until after Zach’s name became popular.
As I considered the field more broadly, I tried to evaluate each candidate.
For Randy, it was always a no. I feel as if enough has been said already about Randy (especially within this group) but the decision to skip that Moms for Liberty debate was simply a cherry on top. Look who he took money from, listen to his answers to simple questions, and the decision to not support him becomes obvious.
I feel that nearly everyone I talk to loves Eddie Andrews, but frankly the money and the polling are not there. I honestly have not heard much from him that I disagree with, but it’s getting increasingly difficult to see a clear path forward for his campaign. It’s not personal, but in this big a field we need to be frank about whose got it a clear path to 35% and who doesn’t.
Sherman seems like one of the most constitutionally firm men in the state, and I am happy to call him a brother in Christ, but I can not pretend to be inspired by anything I have heard him say during his campaign. I have personally found it difficult to connect with the broader vision of his campaign or see how it would gain traction statewide. Most of his campaign has been reassuring voters that God told him to run with very little talk of the systemic issues facing Iowans. By looking at the polling numbers, as well as considering who can best inspire my generation to vote against Rob Sand, we need to, again, have a hard conversation about him dropping out.
Adam Steen was a serious consideration for me at first, but frankly the longer he has been in this race the more displeased I have become. Obviously we have the situation with Eddie, and at the end of the day that falls completely on Adam’s shoulders. Regardless of who did what, he bears the responsibility for his team’s actions, which I frankly find it hard to believe he did not play a central role in. While I must admit, Adam is a great speaker and would make a fool of Rob Sand on the debate stage, this is not 2016. We do not need a candidate to “own the libs”. As his campaign has progressed, I’ve heard way more from him and his supporters about how terrible Randy Feenstra is, then about his plans to fix the issues facing Iowans. Like the other candidates, his solution to the cancer crisis has been, “I’ll surround myself with experts”, and “we need good and honest research.” I’m sorry, but for me, this is not good enough. I find it much more reasonable to vote for the expert, rather than the loud voice calling those around him weak, proclaiming, “I am the only candidate strong enough to beat Rob Sand”. We do not need someone “strong enough to beat Sand/Feenstra”. We need someone who is strong on putting an end to eminent domain for private gain, and strong on the big ag monopolies controlling the market. Until I see the side of Adam that can look at a problem and bring people together on the solution, I can not in good faith support him.
That leaves me with Zach Lahn. A 6th generation Iowan who has never been a politician. Someone who has not attacked his opponents, but saved his arrows for the big ag companies, and the monopolies buying up single family homes across the state, making it impossible for someone my age to see a future in Iowa. He has presented actual solutions to lowering property taxes for Iowans, while raising them for land owned by people who do not live here. He has plenty of experience in education and has written curriculum himself. He understands the water quality issue in Iowa and knows the course of action we must take to start to correct the years of damage done by big ag.
I could spend the rest of this letter explaining all of what Zach is running on, but I think the best thing I can tell you to do is come meet Zach at one of his events around the state. He does Q&A at every event, and is always the last person to leave the room. He will answer any question, and if he doesn’t know, he admits it, looks into it, and tries to find the answer. Whether you agree with him or not, the willingness to engage directly with voters is something that ought to be respected.
For me, this decision comes back to where I started; feeling like politics wasn’t worth engaging in. Zach Lahn changed that. He made me feel like my voice, and the concerns of my generation, actually matter. That’s why I’m back paying attention, and that’s why I’m proud to support him.
I would encourage anyone reading this not to just take my word for it, but to do what I did. Look into the candidates, attend an event, and ask real questions. Most importantly, pray. As followers of Christ we must seek to honor him with our engagement in the political arena. Ultimately, our vote belongs to him, and we must seek out His will before posting, arguing, and voting.
This election matters, and the direction we choose will impact Iowa for years to come. For me, that process led to one clear conclusion: Zach Lahn is the candidate best prepared to fight for Iowa and for the people who call it home.
- Mike Rupp
