GOP in 'bare knuckle' fight as it loses grasp on ruby red state: report

Iowa Republicans are engaged in a destructive internal battle that threatens to hand the governorship to Democrats in a state that has voted for GOP candidates decisively in recent elections.

Five Republicans are competing for their party's nomination in the June 2 primary, but rather than uniting against Democratic state auditor Rob Sand, the top three candidates—Representative Randy Feenstra, farmer and businessman Zach Lahn, and former aide Adam Steen—are locked in a "bare-knuckle, personality-focused primary fight," according to the New York Times.

The intensity of the GOP infighting has created an unlikely opening for Democrats, according to the report. Despite Republicans holding a registration advantage of nearly 200,000 voters in Iowa, political prognosticators are calling the governor's race a tossup—with some polls giving Sand a slight edge.

"The Democrats see the environment; I think they see Republicans are divided," said Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Christian conservative whose endorsement is highly sought. "They see there is a fracture in the party, and they believe that Rob Sand...is the kind of candidate that can win back the governorship."

Republican Governor Kim Reynolds is leaving office after nine years with the lowest approval rating of any governor in the country—a burden her party's candidates must carry, the report notes.

One Republican county supervisor, Mark Nelson, a farmer, said Reynolds "really attacked public education. You can't attack and undermine one of your biggest areas of the work force and not have it be detrimental to that next election."

Even within his own party, Feenstra faces skepticism. Republican voter Sherri Webb, 76, said she would vote for Democrat Sand if Feenstra wins the nomination because "Most of us are sick and tired of him not showing up and not giving us answers," according to the report. Feenstra notably skipped a PBS-aired debate last month.