Iowa’s state auditor, Rob Sand is within spitting distance of becoming Iowa’s next Governor. But before checking that box, Iowans have questions about family funding, Lauridsen Group, Dave Muhlbauer’s DNR violations, education funding, his cancer plan, and if he really believes in “not redder or bluer.”
Sand also doubles down on claims his opponent, Zach Lahn is “from Kansas” and explains why his campaign or the Democrat party hasn’t filed official complaint with the The State Objection Panel, Iowa Secretary of State, or The Iowa Attorney General.
Rob Sand on specific issues
Rob Sand’s specific commitments if elected Governor:
- Will deliver a 5% increase in public school funding in year one, while taking serious steps to reduce the state’s budget deficit.
- Will veto any bill granting legal immunity (shield law) to companies whose products are linked to sickening Iowans (explicitly the Bayer/glyphosate bill).
- Will require every Iowa home inspector to inform buyers about radon risks and offer a low-cost radon test during inspections.
- Wants to restrict the purchase of unhealthy foods (soda, sugary snacks, etc.) from SNAP benefits.
- Will fully fund voluntary conservation programs at levels that meet or exceed farmer demand so participants are no longer turned away or left on multi-year waitlists.
- Will increase the amount of local Iowa-grown food served in public schools.
- Will enact mandatory prison time (no probation) for people who steal or significantly misuse large amounts of taxpayer money.
- Will push to end the special legal privileges of both the Democratic and Republican parties.
- Wants to advance accountability reforms including term limits, age limits, cognitive tests, and civics tests for candidates seeking office.
Sand’s campaign priorities
Sand outlined key policy priorities for his campaign, focusing heavily on education funding, fiscal responsibility, and public health. Addressing Iowa’s education system, Sand pledged to pursue a 5 percent funding increase for public schools in his first year in office to counter a decade of funding lagging behind inflation. “A year at 5% would be, I think, good for Iowa public schools and good for Iowa students,” Sand stated, while emphasizing the necessity of confronting the state’s $1.3 billion budget deficit. On public health, Sand vowed to veto corporate immunity legislation regarding chemical products like glyphosate and prioritized tackling radon—a leading cause of lung cancer in Iowa. Sand noted he wasn’t opposed to restricting SNAP benefits from purchasing unhealthy foods to curb government-subsidized health issues.
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Water Quality and Government Accountability
Addressing environmental issues, Sand criticized state leadership for eliminating a $600,000 budget item for water quality monitors across Iowa. Sand proposed expanding fully funded, incentive-based conservation programs for farmers rather than relying on punitive regulations. “I think we should be among the first states to say to politicians, ‘You will have term limits,’” Sand declared, framing broad government reform as vital to solving persistent state challenges. Sand also renewed his criticism of Senate File 478, a law restricting the State Auditor’s ability to examine state records. “Every single government watchdog in America, 100% of them, looked at this bill and said, ‘You should not do this. This is going to lead to an increase in waste, fraud, and abuse in Iowa,’” Sand argued. Pushing for stricter oversight, Sand proposed mandatory prison sentences for stealing large sums of taxpayer funds alongside mandatory civics and cognitive testing for candidates on the ballot.
Partisanship Pushback
Sand also addressed his own campaign staff social media posts. While his official accounts claim his opponent, Zach Lahn wants to “ban cancer treatments” and “a ban on vaccines” Sand clarified saying the intention was mRNA vaccines, and specific cancer treatments.
Sand also addressed his campaign staffers directly who publicly called Lahn a carpetbagger, explaining, “I have not used the word carpetbagger myself, if my campaign has said it, let’s not say that anymore guys.”