IOWA — Rob Sand, Iowa’s state auditor and the last Democrat holding statewide-elected office in Iowa, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 gubernatorial election to replace retiring Republican governor Kim Reynolds. The open seat comes in a state where Republicans have controlled the governor’s mansion since 2011.
Sand, who is the best-known Democrat in Iowa, has centered his campaign on challenging the two-party political system. “What I’m going to emphasize is that our democracy is run by two private clubs who have a lot of people in them who are happier to have you hate your uncle if they can ring another $10 donation out of you. They’re more focused on that than solving the problems that we face,” he said.
The Cook Political Report shifted its rating of Iowa’s 2024 gubernatorial race from “leans Republican” to “toss up” in April, citing changing political dynamics. Iowa Republican Party chair Jeff Kaufmann dismissed the reclassification as “lazy, naïve” and attributed it to internal polling from the Sand campaign.
Five Republicans are competing in their party’s primary, with U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra and businessman Zach Lahn leading in fundraising. Sand has noted that Iowa’s economy is struggling and cancer rates are surging.
Sand often begins his rallies by leading the audience in singing “America the Beautiful” and has spoken about his love of hunting on podcasts. Donald Trump won Iowa by 13 points in 2024, his largest margin ever in the state.