Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ campaign raised $1.4 million in 2023 amid Trump feud

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) reported a significant 2023 fundraising haul this week after months of feuding with former President Donald Trump and despite not having formally announced a reelection bid in 2026.

Reynolds reportedly raised $1.4 million last year following her reelection in 2022. The numbers are comparable to the more than $1.3 million she raised in 2019, which was record-breaking for an incumbent the year after an election.

“In 2023, we kicked off a national school choice revolution, cut the size of government, and delivered historic property tax reform,” the governor said in a statement.

“2024 will be no different — defending the sovereignty of our country, cutting taxes, putting Iowans above government bureaucracy, and ensuring every student has a premier education,” she added. “Iowa has cemented itself as a national leader and we are just getting started.”

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, center, signs a six-week abortion ban bill into law during a ceremony in her formal office on Friday in Des Moines, Iowa. The bill gives Iowa the strictest abortion restrictions in the nation, setting the state up for a lengthy court challenge. — Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), center, signs a six-week abortion ban bill into law during a ceremony in her office in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In 2022, Reynolds notably sailed to reelection, defeating Democrat Deidre DeJear by nearly 20 percentage points. In 2018, she defeated Democrat Fred Hubbell by less than 3 points.

Reynolds’s strong fundraising news comes after a publicized feud with Trump over her refusal to endorse him in the 2024 Republican presidential primary and choice to throw her support behind Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).

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It is unclear if Trump’s allies and aligned groups are seeking a primary challenger for Reynolds, as has been done to other politicians he deemed disloyal. However, both Trump and his circle have said the former president is willing to forgive certain people who have gone against him in the past.

“I would imagine there are some MAGA loyalists who would want to see a primary, but if she decided to run again, she would be just about impossible to beat,” Iowa Republican strategist David Kochel said.