Iowa Gubernatorial Candidate Zach Lahn’s FirmTech Investment Under Scrutiny

Zach Lahn, a political newcomer who defeated Trump-endorsed congressman Randy Feenstra in the Republican primary for Iowa governor, markets himself as a farmer-first candidate. Parallel to his agricultural branding, Lahn’s business record includes a long-standing investment in FirmTech Inc., a company that sells wearable erection rings and other devices marketed both as therapeutic tools and as “sex toys.”

The Bulwark

According to SEC filings signed by Lahn, he joined FirmTech’s board of directors in 2020 as one of three directors. A payment was scheduled for September 8, 2021, in which Lahn, through his wholly-owned Selah Group LLC, transferred $1 million to purchase 1,250 FirmTech shares, making him the second-largest shareholder with a 28.2 percent stake. The company’s 2025 annual report indicates that Lahn continues to hold a 25 percent ownership interest via a limited liability company. Lahn resigned from the board in September 2023 after expressing concerns about the firm’s marketing direction.

The Bulwark

Lahn has publicly described FirmTech’s offerings as “grade two medical devices” and emphasized that his investment was limited to therapeutic applications. FirmTech’s CEO Elliot Justin, however, has characterized the same erection rings—also called “cock rings” or “c-rings”—as devices intended to generate pleasure, and the company announced a “clitoral vibrator” in documents bearing Lahn’s signature. The Bulwark’s review of the firm’s marketing, legal, and financial documents notes that the devices were frequently described by FirmTech as “sex toys” during Lahn’s tenure on the board.

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Lahn’s campaign told the Des Moines Register that his involvement was confined to the company’s medical-device work and that he stepped down from the board before any “pleasure” products were released. The campaign also highlighted his early investment and subsequent resignation as evidence of his prudence.

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The controversy centers on whether Lahn’s portrayal of his FirmTech involvement aligns with the company’s public marketing of its products. Voters are faced with assessing the consistency of his statements about the nature of the business versus documented evidence of the firm’s dual positioning as both a medical device provider and a producer of sexual-pleasure products. This issue may influence perceptions of Lahn’s transparency and credibility in the upcoming general election against Democratic nominee Rob Sand.

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