Democrat Rob Sand launches 2026 bid for Iowa Governor

Iowa’s lone statewide Democrat has launched his bid for governor. He says state government isn’t working, and it’s time to rotate the crops. 

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand formally launched his campaign for governor on Monday, positioning himself as a Democrat who can bridge partisan divides in an increasingly Republican-dominated state.

“People love this state. They’re so proud to live here. But a lot of them are very frustrated with where we are right now,” Sand said. “But they’re still here. They’re not running away.”

He promised to run a race focused on values that unite voters across party lines. In an interview with Iowa Starting Line, he emphasized the need for Iowa to chart a new direction less driven by partisanship. 

“ I think everybody agrees that the majorities on the other side are so large that if I win, I’ll be working with a Republican legislature. Fine. I’ll work with anybody to do good for the state of Iowa. And in the meantime, I’ll block some of the bad stuff that they would like to do,” Sand said.

He said he’d work to legalize marijuana and to restore the powers that Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature took from the Iowa Auditor’s Office when Sand won it. 

Sand, 42, said he doesn’t fit the bill of an average Democrat. He hunts and fishes. And he often talks about how religion shaped his world view. 

“That’s me. That’s my life. That’s who I am. So I am not who most people think of as a Democrat. Here’s the other piece: Who says we should only have two parties who said that we should all have to be Democrats or Republicans?”

What else to know about Rob Sand

Sand was born in Decorah, Iowa. He went to school at Brown University and studied law at the University of Iowa. He interned in the office of US Senator Tom Harkin and spent seven years working as an assistant attorney general under then-AG Tom Miller targeting public corruption. 

As auditor, Sand has focused on identifying waste and fraud in state government. He is the only Democrat to hold statewide office in Iowa, winning election in 2018 and reelection in 2022. During the 2022 election cycle, he retained his position while several Democratic incumbents, including former Attorney General Tom Miller, Iowa Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, and US Rep. Cindy Axne, all were defeated by Republican challengers.

Sand, who is serving his second term as state auditor, is the first major Democrat to officially enter the race for the governor’s mansion. His campaign launch follows Republican Governor Kim Reynolds’ surprise announcement that she would not seek reelection.

Republicans eye the governor’s mansion

On the same day as Sand’s announcement, CBS News scooped that Republican US Rep. Randy Feenstra was making moves to run for governor. On Monday, he filed a statement of organization, one of the steps candidates take ahead of launching a campaign. Before him, state Sen. Mike Bousselot launched an exploratory committee for the office.

Attorney General Brenna Bird, state Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, House Speaker Pat Grassley, and state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann have also expressed interest in the office. Former state Rep. Brad Sherman had already announced his candidacy before Reynolds declared she would not run again.

Sand flexes in fundraising report

In addition to the incumbent bowing out, Sand benefits from strong financial backing. His campaign reported raising more than $8 million at the end of last year, including approximately $7 million from family members and about 28,000 smaller individual donations. His wife, Christine, contributed $3 million, while his in-laws, Nancy and Nixon Lauridsen, provided another $4 million.

Iowa has historically been considered a purple state, but has trended sharply Republican in recent elections, with the GOP dominating the last three election cycles. The last Democratic governor was Chet Culver, who won in 2006 but lost to Republican Terry Branstad in 2010.

With Sand’s announcement, political forecaster Cook Political Report moved its rating for the 2026 Iowa governor’s election from Solid Republican to Lean Republican.

“ People in charge brought us to this point, and most Iowans understand the idea of balance. It’s time to rotate the crops. They’ve been in there too long,” Sand said.