DES MOINES, Iowa – Rob Sand is gearing up to rally supporters for the first time as the official Democratic nominee for Iowa governor this Sunday. The event marks the beginning of a crucial countdown to the elections in November, with notable support from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
The upcoming race for governor between Sand and Republican candidate Zach Lahn is expected to be one of the most competitive in the nation. Iowans are facing significant challenges, including a state budget deficit, a struggling agricultural economy, and a pressing cancer crisis.
Even as Sand emphasizes a non-partisan approach, many Democrats are placing their hopes in him to reinvigorate the party’s presence in Iowa, especially after facing electoral setbacks in recent years. Beshear, chair of the Democratic Governors Association and a potential presidential candidate in 2028, stated, “We are all in on flipping Iowa. It’s certainly time for a change, and I think the people of Iowa know that Rob Sand will always put them first and lead in a way that lifts families up and doesn’t leave them out.”
Sand, who was unopposed in the primary, is now set to face Lahn, who emerged from a competitive five-way Republican primary. Lahn, relatively unknown before his candidacy, gained attention as a business owner critical of corporate tax breaks and an advocate for regenerative farming, aligning with Robert F. Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
This election is particularly significant, as Iowa is experiencing open races for both governor and U.S. senator for the first time since 1968, alongside three competitive congressional races. National political figures, including former President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, have recently increased their visibility in Iowa.
Despite the enthusiasm surrounding Sand’s campaign, Democrats face challenges, including a 200,000-person deficit in statewide voter registration. Additionally, they are outnumbered in every House district. Sand and fellow Senate candidate Josh Turek believe they can win over independents and disillusioned Republicans who are frustrated with the current political landscape dominated by a Republican trifecta in Washington and Des Moines.
Turek is running against U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has characterized him as a liberal aligned with party leader Sen. Chuck Schumer. Lahn has also dismissed Sand’s nonpartisan rhetoric, stating unequivocally, “Rob Sand is not a moderate. He’s a liberal career politician pretending to be someone he’s not.”
Sand has been vocal about his disdain for partisanship and his desire for a divided government in Iowa, believing that many Iowans share this sentiment. He remarked, “I’m not here to tell you that the answer to 10 years of one-party control is to give the other party 10 years of one-party control. I don’t think that’s right.”
If elected, Sand will likely need to collaborate with Republican majorities in the state House and Senate, which have recently passed legislation limiting executive power, signed into law by outgoing Republican Governor Kim Reynolds.
Interestingly, both Sand and Lahn have adopted green as their campaign color, steering clear of the traditional blue and red associated with their parties. They both claim to be unbound by party establishments, insisting that Iowans are yearning for a new direction, despite Lahn’s Republican Party maintaining a statehouse trifecta for nearly a decade.
Sand’s campaign has already contributed approximately $750,000 to the Iowa Democratic Party this election cycle, a move that Republicans criticize as hypocritical for someone who claims to be independent of party politics. However, Sand’s team argues that this funding is an investment in a coordinated campaign essential for his success in the governor’s race, which also supports candidates throughout the ballot.
As Democrats reflect on the previous electoral cycle and consider their future, Beshear is positioning himself as an example of how the party can thrive in a predominantly red state. He aims to be a “voice of reason in the chaos” of the Trump administration and acknowledges his potential candidacy for the presidency in 2028, while maintaining focus on the upcoming midterm elections.
In addition to supporting Sand, Beshear will attend a “Beers with Beshear” fundraiser for congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, who is working to unseat Republican Rep. Zach Nunn in a competitive House district that includes Des Moines. The Democratic Governors Association, under Beshear’s leadership, has also allocated about $140,000 to support the Iowa Democratic Party this election cycle.
