Iowa is struggling — with rising cancer rates, a shrinking economy, overburdened healthcare systems, and families being pushed out of communities they love.

This week, Rob Sand returns to Moderate Party to talk about why he’s running for governor in a moment when many people would run the other way. Rob is the only Democrat who can still win statewide in Iowa, and he’s trying to build a coalition grounded not in outrage, but in actual problem-solving.

We talk about listening, dissent, navigating disagreement without feeding division, and what it means to govern a state that’s hurting. It’s a conversation about leadership, humility, and why the work is still worth doing.

About Rob

Rob Sand was born and raised in Decorah, where his family has lived for generations, and where he grew up fishing, hunting, and discovering his passion for public service while helping build a community skatepark. He began his career as an Assistant Iowa Attorney General and the state’s chief public corruption prosecutor, taking on scammers, taxpayer abusers, violent criminals, and the largest lottery-rigging scheme in American history—later chronicled in his true-crime book The Winning Ticket. Iowans have since elected him twice as State Auditor, first in 2018, when he became the first Democrat to win the office since the 1960s, and again in 2022 as the only Democrat reelected statewide. In office, Rob has uncovered more than $29 million in waste, fraud, and abuse, held both parties accountable, and launched the Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program—an award-winning efficiency initiative now adopted in all 99 counties and replicated in other states. Known for working across political lines, Rob has included Independents and Republicans in senior leadership roles and supported staff regardless of their political donations, grounding his work not in left vs. right but right vs. wrong. Now running for governor, Rob is focused on lowering costs, protecting taxpayer dollars, restoring trust in government, and improving the lives of Iowa families. And when he’s not fighting corruption or working for Iowans, you can find him bowhunting, fishing, biking, taste-testing Casey’s pizza, or spending time with his wife Christine, their two sons, and their dog, Pow.

• Rob Sand for Iowa
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