Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig rules out gubernatorial bid, seeks reelection in 2026
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig talked about the ag industry in Iowa and his potential bid for governor, April 25, 2025. (Image from Iowa PBS video)
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Tuesday he will not pursue a gubernatorial election and will instead seek another term as agriculture secretary.
Naig was one of the many Republicans considered a potential candidate in the race to succeed Gov. Kim Reynolds after she announced she would not seek reelection in 2026. Naig had said in April he and his family were 'thoughtfully discussing that possibility.' But on Tuesday he said he had decided not to run, adding that there was 'still work to be done growing our state and economy as secretary of agriculture.'
Naig has held his current position since being appointed in March 2018 after serving as deputy agriculture secretary under Bill Northey, who was appointed undersecretary for farm production and conservation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture during President Donald Trump's first term in office. Naig won reelection in the 2018 and again in 2022 against Democratic challenger John Norwood.
He said he plans to officially launch his 2026 campaign for agriculture secretary at a later date.
'I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Iowa as we work to advance an Iowa First agenda that puts farmers, families, and freedom at the center of our future,' Naig said in a statement. 'We have made tremendous progress over the past few years, but there remains important work ahead and we're not done yet — building markets for Iowa products, defending our livestock industry, accelerating soil and water conservation efforts, and making sure rural Iowa thrives for future generations.'
Naig said he will continue to 'fight for the hard-working men and women who feed and fuel the world and keep Iowa as the greatest agricultural state in the country.'
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