Who is Rob Sand and what is Sand running on in the 2026 Iowa Governor race?
Rob Sand (D) is favored in the 2026 Iowa Governor race, with about a 77% chance of winning, according to Kalshi and Polymarket on Oct 1.
Answer from Mary's digital twin. Checkmark turns Green once she confirms it.
Rob Sand is the Democratic candidate for Iowa governor. Iowa State Auditor since 2019; former public-corruption prosecutor in the Iowa Attorney General’s office. Running mate: Crawford County Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The race
Chance of winning: Kalshi and Polymarket, Oct 1
- The seat: Open seat (Kim Reynolds not running).
- Rating: Lean D flip (Cook, Sept 10, 2026).
- Polling: Sand 50 to 51, Lahn 39 to 41 (YouGov, Sept 3 to 8, 2026); Sand 49, Lahn 46 (Emerson, Aug 31-Sept 1, 2026).
Why Sand is ahead
- Sand leads every recent poll, by 3 to 11 points.
- Lahn is a surprise nominee: he narrowly beat Trump-endorsed Randy Feenstra (37.65% to 36.9%). He faces questions about living in Kansas until 2023, and his running mate Derek Wulf is under investigation for alleged theft and fraud.
- Sand’s favorability is 54/33 vs Lahn’s 38/41, and Trump is underwater in Iowa (Fox News poll, June 2026).
- As state auditor, Sand built a statewide anti-waste profile and ran unopposed in his primary.
What Sand is running on
- Abortion. Opposes Iowa’s six-week ban as too restrictive and would veto new limits on abortion, contraception, IVF or surrogacy.
- Education. Opposes the private-school ESA/voucher program and would redirect the money to universal all-day pre-K.
- Healthcare. Would reverse Medicaid privatization, expand telehealth, crack down on pharmacy benefit managers, and create a Cabinet-level cancer task force.
- Marijuana / economy. Would legalize adult-use cannabis and regulate and tax it like alcohol.
- Environment. Would invest in water-quality monitoring, conservation and wetlands, and opposes liability immunity for chemical companies.
- Guns. A lifelong gun owner who supports the Second Amendment but opposes guns in schools.
- Accountability. Campaigns on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, citing his audits.
In Sand’s own words
“uncovered more waste, fraud, and abuse in a single term than any other State Auditor in Iowa history”
The other candidates
Every race
See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.
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