State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, announced Monday he is running for governor of Iowa in 2026.
Sand was first elected as state auditor in 2018 and was reelected to a second term in 2022. He was the only Democrat to win a statewide office in Iowa that year.
Sand, 42, is originally from Decorah and now lives in Des Moines. Before being elected state auditor, he was an Iowa assistant attorney general who led the prosecution of a multi-state lottery rigging scheme and investigated film tax credit fraud.
In 2022, Sand was rumored as a possible candidate for governor but instead he opted for a reelection campaign as state auditor. He said economic issues are primarily what’s driving his decision to run in 2026.
“I just think that we have gone too far in seeing the Iowa government serving insiders and special interests over Iowans,” Sand said in an interview with IPR. “In the state government over there, they're taking care of their friends. They're not taking care of Iowans. And I think that's time that change.”
He said the possibility of serving as a Democratic governor while Republicans hold control over potentially both the Iowa House and Senate would bring state government “back towards common sense.” If elected, he said one of his top priorities will be fixing the state budget.
“Folks like to talk about having a record surplus,” he said. “We're also looking at a record deficit this year, and we are going to have budget deficits every single year now for probably at least the next five years, unless something major changes. But that's not healthy.”
Sand said he’s also focused on improving government efficiency, increasing penalties for people who misuse public dollars, and getting education “back on track,” which he said would include having greater oversight over the state’s voucher-style education savings accounts program which provides state funding for students to attend private schools.
Paul Dahl of Webster City and Sondra Wilson from Ames are the only other Democrats who have announced campaigns for governor. Dahl has failed to qualify for the primary ballot in three past elections, and Sand’s significant financial resources could make it very difficult for any primary challengers to compete.
Sand’s campaign finance report for 2024 shows he raised $8.5 million last year, including $7 million in contributions from his wife and in-laws.
Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kauffmann criticized the family contributions to Sand's campaign fund.
"Our state needs a governor who will fight for low taxes, family-first values, and freedom from government overreachーnot some left-wing elitist who is more interested in being a social media influencer that doing the job he was elected to do," Kauffmann said in a statement.
Sand said Republican criticism doesn’t reflect the grassroots support he’s also received.
“I look at this and I say, look, yeah, my family does support me,” he said. “They trust me to do the right thing, and so do Iowans from all political stripes and all levels of socio-economic status.”
Sand said he thinks Iowa Democrats should try to pursue every vote, regardless of political party or voting history. And, he’s hopeful his small-town upbringing will help him resonate with voters in more conservative parts of the state.
“If you told them, okay, there's a candidate who was born and raised in a small town, and his faith motivates most of what he does, and he likes to hunt and fish, and he owns guns, including handguns, probably 90% of people would tell you, ‘Oh, that's a Republican,’" Sand said. "That's me."
On the Republican side, Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision to not seek reelection makes the 2026 election the first time since 2006 that there will not be an incumbent governor on the ballot.
Former state Rep. Brad Sherman of Williamsburg announced in February that he would run for governor. After Reynolds said she would not run again, state Sen. Mike Bousselot of Ankeny said he is exploring a run for governor. Fourth District U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra filed paperwork with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board Monday indicating he is planning a possible run for governor. Several other Republican elected officials have said they are considering running.
This story was updated to show that Sondra Wilson of Ames has also initiated a Democratic campaign for governor.
