Why Rob Sand is singing ‘America, the Beautiful’ at rallies

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand has been starting his campaign stops across Iowa with an unusual ritual: leading crowds in singing “America the Beautiful.”

Sand, the current state auditor, has held town halls in venues ranging from churches to breweries, where he encourages attendees from different political parties to acknowledge each other before joining together in song.

“So many elected officials from both parties want us to be divided from each other,” Sand told Iowa Starting Line. “It works great for them to amass power if we hate our neighbors and hate our family and are so frustrated with everyone that we disagree with.”

Part of the ritual for Sand is to have folks raise their hands—Republicans, independents, Democrats—and applaud each other “for showing up for our democracy.” He then leads them in song. 

And the approach appears to be drawing interest in small communities. In August, Sand’s campaign stopped in Ellston, a town with just 19 residents. He drew 45 people to the event. This week, he finished his 65th town hall. After doing 100 across the state, the campaign told Iowa Starting Line, it intends to do 100 more in the lead up to 2026. 

Sand’s use of music at political events isn’t unprecedented in Iowa politics. In 2023, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds interviewed presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who broke into an Eminem song on stage. And in January of this year, Iowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann led a room full of Republicans, including Gov. Kim Reynolds, Speaker of the Iowa House Pat Grassley, and Attorney General Brenna Bird, in dancing to Village People’s Y.M.C.A. Kaufmann said, “Anybody that’s not excited, get out.” 

By comparison, Sand’s approach stands out.  

“We sing to bring ourselves together. To push back against the people who want us divided from each other,” Sand said. “Let’s face it. They all know that when we’re divided, we’re easier to control.”

Whether Sand’s singing town halls signal broader political changes remains unclear. It’s a long way to 2026. But they do suggest some Iowans may be seeking alternatives to more divisive political rhetoric.

Sand is running in the 2026 Democratic primary for Iowa governor. The other Democrats running in the race are Julie Stauch and Paul Dahl. 

Reynolds will not seek reelection. In the Republican primary, State Rep. Eddie Andrews, former State Rep. Brad Sherman, and former Director of Iowa Department of Administrative Services Adam Steen have all announced their bids. US Rep. Randy Feenstra has hinted about a gubernatorial campaign kickoff later this fall. State Sen. Mike Bousselot has also formed an exploratory committee for the top position.