Rob Sand Defeats Mary Mosiman In State Auditor’s Race

Rob Sand defeated State Auditor Mary Mosiman, ousting a Republican incumbent in one of Democrats’ brighter moments of the evening. A former assistant attorney general, Sand will be the youngest statewide elected official in Iowa.

While races for State Auditor are typically quiet, under-the-radar affairs, Sand put together a juggernaut of a campaign, raising over $1.7 million. He dominated the airwaves with ads both funny and serious, highlighting his time as a prosecutor and role in the lottery-rigging case. His wife Christine was featured in another where she described her husband’s frugality.

Mosiman tried to discredit Sand due to him not being a CPA, but voters either did not seem to care or did not hear that message enough. Sand argued his prosecutorial experience was better suited to a more aggressive agency. He also blamed Mosiman for a number of budget oversight issues and the lack of accountability for the Medicaid MCOs.

This is the first time Democrats have held this office in decades. He may, however, be the only one of the party’s challenger candidates who win.

by Pat Rynard
Posted 11/6/18