Derek Wulf’s gubernatorial running mate, Zach Lahn, has defended him over claims that he owes his parents $275,000 in unpaid farm rent

NEED TO KNOW

• Derek Wulf, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Iowa, is being sued by his parents over $275,000 in unpaid rent
• The Des Moines Register reports that Wulf’s parents are one of eight people and companies who have sued Wulf and his company, Shallow Creek Land & Livestock, since 2023 for payments owed to them
• Wulf’s running mate, gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn, has defended him in recent interviews, saying his financial difficulties are indicative of broader pressures affecting farmers in their state

Derek Wulf, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Iowa, is being sued by his parents over $275,000 in unpaid rent.

The Des Moines Register reported last week that Wulf’s parents, Duane and Jackie Wulf, 83 and 82, have filed a court petition alleging that their 45-year-old son stopped paying rent two years ago on farmland he rented from them. The petition, filed on Tuesday, Oct. 20, demands repayment and also accuses Derek of lying about his assets in financial documents to a lender, the Register reported.

In total, eight people and companies have reportedly sued Derek and his company, Shallow Creek Land & Livestock, since 2023 for payments owed; all but one of the lawsuits have been settled, according to the Register. The final outstanding accuser, WCF Financial Bank, claims that Derek is over a year behind on credit payments, the paper reported. 

Derek’s running mate, gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn, has defended him in recent interviews. According to The New Republic, Lahn has insinuated that the conflict in the family stems from Derek’s father suffering from poor health; claims Duane and Jackie have called “categorically false.” 

In a recent interview with Sioux County Radio, Lahn said Derek’s financial difficulties are indicative of broader pressures affecting farmers in their state.

“I think that what we’re looking at here is a larger issue within the constructs of what’s going on in agriculture, where you have people selling products below the cost of production often,” Lahn said.

“When you look at his specific situation, you have a bank that was overextended on its federal legal lending limit, pulls his line of credit having not ever missed a payment or been late on a payment,” he continued. “And then had this cascade happen, which would happen to just about any farmer that was in that situation.”

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In a poll conducted between Oct. 9 and 13 by New River Strategies and GS Strategy Group, Lahn and Derek were trailing Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand by about 11 points, despite the fact that President Donald Trump won Iowa by 13 points in 2024.

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