🌽 Cornhole Champions #24 – Rob Sand’s Record-Breaking Campaign Launch & Money in Politics

By Amie Rivers

May 14, 2025

On this solo episode of Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith breaks down State Auditor Rob Sand’s historic campaign launch for Iowa governor. After entering the race with an impressive $8 million war chest, Sand’s campaign reported an additional $2.25 million raised in just 24 hours — breaking state records for the most raised on the first day of any gubernatorial campaign in Iowa history.

Then, Zach sits down with Nico Agosta, a 25-year-old TikTok creator behind the viral “Stocking the Capitol” series. Nico grades the financial integrity of every member of Congress before the 2026 midterms, exposing stock trading and corporate influence through engaging social media content that makes campaign finance accessible.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line where we throw bags at the state’s biggest stories. This show is created by Zachary Oren Smith with music by Avery Mossman. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.

Guests:

Rob Sand is Iowa’s State Auditor. He’s running to be the Democratic nominee in Iowa’s 2026 governor’s race.

Nico Agosta is the creator of “Stocking the Capitol,” a series that grades members of Congress on their financial integrity and stock trading practices.

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Amie Rivers

Amie Rivers is Iowa Starting Line's newsletter editor. She writes the weekly Worker’s Almanac edition of Iowa Starting Line, featuring a roundup of the worker news you need to know. Previously, she was an award-winning journalist at the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier; now, she very much enjoys making TikToks and memes and getting pet photos in her inbox.

Have a story tip? Reach Amie at [email protected]. For local reporting in Iowa that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Amie's newsletter.

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CATEGORIES: LOCAL VIDEO

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