Sand: Iowans tired of feeling like there’s only two choices

Rob Sand, who says it’s time to be curious, not judgmental, and that Iowans are tired of feeling like they really only have two choices when going to the ballot box, spoke to a large group Monday night at The Gathering Place.

A two-term state auditor who has served since 2018, Sand entered the race in May as a Democrat to become Iowa’s next governor in the 2026 election.

Sand grew up a descendant of Scandinavian immigrants in Decorah. He got his first taste of grassroots public service working with the local parks and rec director to get a skate park built, which is still there to this day.

Saving money for taxpayers has been central to Sand’s mission as state auditor. In his first term, he uncovered a record amount of misspent money. He later criticized measures state government has made that make it more difficult for his office to audit state agencies properly.

Sand has also stripped away requirements for employment in his office like place of residence or type of degree. By design, lead officials in Sands office are representative of multiple political and professional backgrounds.

“When we work together, we do better. Period,” Sand said. “You will never convince me that’s not true, as long as we have people of good faith who are focused on doing right.”

The state auditor said Iowans are experiencing the 49th best economy which is 48th for personal income growth. Iowa is first in the nation for cancer growth.

“The education system that we were once so proud of that we put it on our quarter is in the middle of the pack now,” Sand added. “Folks, Nebraska has a better ranked education system than Iowa right now. That is embarrassing. I remember growing up in Iowa that we were always so proud to be top-3 every year. Now, not even close.”

The reason Sand is angry about these topics is his faith is important to him, he said. A Bible story that sticks out to him is Jesus flipping the tables on the money changers.

“It dawned on me that that’s what my work has been oriented around for the last 15 years,” Sand said. “Whether it’s a city clerk paying themselves too much money, a state employee who is embezzling, I was flipping over the tables in the attorney general’s office or the state auditor’s office. When our economy is next to last, we’re first in new cancer growth and they’re making it harder to find misspent money, then there are some tables that need turned in Des Moines.”

Other topics Sand either spoke on or answered questions about were water quality and mental health resource consolidation. For instance, Sand said he’s committed to studying where Iowa is on the issue of water quality as if he’s auditing the topic, carefully examining all perspectives before drawing a conclusion of what is true.

He said while the legislator hands bills to the governor to sign, he would hope that a bill he would pass early on in office is one that enables remedy of other problems.

“What I would like to do, more than anything else, is to solve a problem that will enable us to solve every other problem,” Sand said. “Once we have an election system that holds elected officials accountable by having an easier time replacing them, they will begin whipping it into shape. As long as they look at you and [know] you’re not going to vote for the other guy, they don’t have to do anything.”

Sand, 42, lives with his wife, Christine. They have two boys, age 9 and 11. An avid outdoorsman who enjoys bowhunting, fishing and biking, he also enjoys live music.

Governor Kim Reynolds will not seek re-election next year. Other Democrats in the race are Hamilton County transit driver Paul Dahl and business development professional Julie Stauch of West Des Moines. Republicans in the ring include pastor, small business owner and state representative Eddie Andrews of Des Moines; U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra of Hull and State Representative Brad Sherman, a pastor from Williamsburg.