(ABC 6 News) – The 2026 Iowa gubernatorial race has officially begun.

Brad Sherman, a pastor and former representative in the Iowa House for the 91st district announced on Monday that he would run as a Republican for governor of Iowa in 2026.

Sherman addressed a crowd of supporters at a campaign donor’s private hangar at the Mason City Airport on Saturday, saying he was “following a calling, truly.”

“I can tell you that my decision to run has nothing to do with who’s running or who is or not,” Sherman said.

The announcement came one week before the Feb 24 filing deadline, and sets up an early potential primary challenge for incumbent Kim Reynolds, who has not made her re-election campaign official yet.

Sherman’s campaign release said he, as governor, would be “defending Iowans’ rights against eminent domain abuse, encouraging fiscal responsibility, promoting family values and returning government to the foundational principles that made America great.”

“I have 45 years of leadership experience,” Sherman said. “Mainly administrative offices on various board organizations. I have a good grasp of the foundational principles of the American form of government.”

In introducing Sherman at his campaign launch, State Senator Doug Campbell touted him as, “a leader, a man who knows who he is and who is God is and what he’s going to do. I find no fault in him. He will make an excellent governor.”

In downtown Mason City, several protesters gathered, sporting signs reading “Hate is not a family value,” “Shermin the Vermin,” and “GOP= Gaslight, Opress, Polarize”

When asked how as a Christian minister he would govern for Iowans of all faiths, Sherman responded, “The people of Iowa need to decide, do we want to lean on biblical, biblical principles or not? We certainly do not want to force anybody to be a Christian. If we try to force anybody to be a Christian, it would cease to be Christianity. We can’t do that. But the principles [of Christianity] are what made this nation great.”

“The foundational values upon which our liberties rest have been dangerously undermined and now we’re at a crossroads,” Sherman said. “As governor, I will work hard to restore the foundations of freedom and stand for the constitutional rights of every individual, ensuring that Iowa remains a welcoming place for faith, families, and thriving businesses.”