Key facts
- Iowa GOP governor nominee Zach Lahn confronted President Barack Obama at a 2009 town hall.
- Lahn questioned how private insurance companies could compete with a government entity that does not need to profit or pay taxes.
- Obama's response to Lahn's question led him to suggest he might not favor the public option for the Affordable Care Act.
- The exchange went viral after Lahn won the Republican nomination for Iowa governor.
- Lahn is running on issues including youth outmigration, family farms, education, and cancer rates.
Zach Lahn, the Republican nominee for governor in Iowa, recounted a viral confrontation he had with then-President Barack Obama at a 2009 town hall. Lahn, then a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, questioned Obama about the Affordable Care Act, specifically how private insurance companies could compete with a government entity that does not need to profit or pay taxes. Obama's response to Lahn's question indicated he might not favor the public option, a key component of the ACA, which ultimately was not included in the final legislation. The clip of the exchange gained renewed attention after Lahn's recent upset victory in the Iowa GOP gubernatorial primary, defeating Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra. Lahn, who is now campaigning on issues such as youth outmigration, family farms, education, and cancer rates, will face Democratic Auditor of Iowa Rob Sand in the general election. The 2009 town hall event required Lahn and his roommate to drive eight hours round trip twice to secure tickets and attend.