Rob Sand Wants to Show a Democrat Can Win in Iowa

The party’s nominee for governor is trying to pick the GOP's two-decade lock on the state’s top job. Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand speaks to the media after casting his primary ballot on June 2, 2026 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Charlie Neibergall/Getty Images) Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. SIOUX CENTER, Iowa—Rob Sand looks like a Democrat that party strategists might have designed in a political laboratory to win over the Republicans who have come to dominate this red state in the populist era defined by President Donald Trump. The rugged, if clean-cut, Democratic nominee for Iowa governor prefers summer button-down shirts with flannel patterns, no-frills blue jeans or khakis, and casual brown lace-up footwear. David M. Drucker is a senior writer at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he was a senior correspondent for the Washington Examiner. When Drucker is not covering American politics for The Dispatch, he enjoys hanging out with his two boys and listening to his wife's excellent taste in music. More We Think You’d Like