Iowa's Only Dem in State Office Aims for Bigger Seat

Iowa has exactly one Democrat currently serving in statewide office—and he's now seeking the highest state office there is, reports the Des Moines Register. State auditor Rob Sand announced his candidacy for governor on Monday, joining a race that was upended last month when GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds unexpectedly announced she would not seek a third term, per the AP. "I'm not a party line guy," Sand tells the Des Moines newspaper. "I'm a right or wrong guy, and I think that is what is going to drive a lot of this."

• The 42-year-old Sand faces significant odds. President Trump won Iowa by 13 points in 2024, while Reynolds took her last race by 18 points. The Register notes that while Iowa has historically been a "purple" state, it has become increasingly red in recent election cycles. He would, in short, "need to overcome a decade of political trends," per the New York Times.
• Elected as state auditor by four points in 2018, Sand's 2022 re-election was much tighter—he won by just three-tenths of a point, or fewer than 3,000 votes. The state's voter rolls show the challenge ahead, with almost 200,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. The last time the state elected a Democratic governor was in 2006.
• Sand's campaign messaging highlights his small-town Iowa roots and his hopes for bipartisan support. On the financial front, he enters the race with $8 million banked.

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