DES MOINES, Iowa — In a surprise announcement Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not seek a third term in office in 2026.

Reynolds, a Republican, has held the position since 2017, when former Gov. Terry Branstad was appointed U.S. ambassador to China. She was elected to full terms in 2018 and again in 2022.

“This wasn’t an easy decision, because I love this state and I love serving you,” Reynolds said in a video posted on social media. “But, when my term ends, I will have had the privilege of serving as your governor for almost 10 years.”

Reynolds said she is leaving office after years of her family supporting her, saying now “it’s time for me to be there for them.” Her husband, Kevin Reynolds, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. In her condition of the state in January, she said his cancer remained in remission.

Reynolds, who got her start in politics as treasurer in largely rural Clarke County in southern Iowa, population less than 10,000, was the state’s first female governor. She was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2008 before serving as Branstad’s running mate in the 2010 election. She served as lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2017.

Praise for the governor poured in from Iowa’s Republican leaders after her announcement, some highlighting her achievements on lowering taxes and securing publicly funded savings accounts for private education.

“Taxes are low, cash reserves are full, our freedoms defended, and Iowa’s future has never been brighter,” Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement.

Reynolds said she has “no doubt that Iowa and our Republican Party will remain in great hands,” noting the “foundation of strong conservative leadership that will continue to serve this state well.”