Sand definitely is onto something

Rob Sand appears to be in tune with a wide swath of Iowans who aren’t happy with the way things are going.

Substantial crowds are showing up across the state to hear the state auditor — the only Democrat elected statewide — badmouth political parties and division. He calls the parties poison to the civic body, but he has to pick one. So he is a Democrat.

That sort of talk grates the base that Sand will need in November 2026 to knock doors and turn out the vote in the governor’s race. Those with their fill of one-party rule in Iowa for the past several years grin and bear it.

He is ever so careful in how he addresses issues. Sand is building a position on natural resources (a bit late for a Decorah boy), and clean water bubbles to the top of most town halls. He preaches against the school voucher program, and wants stronger control of Medicaid. These issues attract nonpartisan or even inactive voters.

They’re showing up at the Sand meetings. At Mount Pleasant last week, about 40 registered to attend but 150 showed up. He packed the house earlier this year at Smokin’ Hereford in Storm Lake. He asks people to raise their hands if they’re Democrat, Republican or independents. The unaffiliated are a respectable showing.

In Iowa, the numbers are telling:

751,809 Republicans, 687,979 Independents and 572,944 Democrats.

In 2024, inactive registered voters numbered 685,508. That is a huge pool of turned-off people. In Buena Vista County, there are 4,982 inactive voters and just 6,972 active voters. The biggest share of inactive voters are Democrats. You could say they have given up on democracy.

That is not a stretch: 64% of respondents to a New York Times/Siena poll last week said we are too divided to solve the nation’s problems. It ranks almost as high as the economy in importance to voters.

It was the million-dollar question on the mind of the former Dallas County Republican Central Committee member who couldn’t talk sense to the Bible thumpers. He left the committee and gives Sand an ear.

Sand asks everyone to sing America the Beautiful. He asks what would Jesus do. This introduction proves compelling even if hokey. He is the most popular state official. We are a corny lot.

Sand has work to do in minority communities, and a lot of gay folk feel taken for granted. He emphasizes that he won’t let trans people born boys play girls basketball. You suppose he leads with it to get your attention in Creston so he can continue talking about wasteful spending.

Democrats shrug their shoulders, pointing to his deep war chest with $10 million. He is not exactly lighting their fire. But progressives are nearly giddy with the idea that Gov. Kim Reynolds is not running. Rep. Randy Feenstra of Hull is the most prominent Republican candidate. Sand is as well-known. Feenstra is no well of charisma.

Iowans hunger for moderation. That’s why Reynolds is the most unpopular governor in the USA, according to the Morning Consult poll. Sand is keen to that fact.

Iowa’s economy rots at the bottom of the barrel with Mississippi. Corn is losing money. Good jobs are harder to find. People are shocked by ballooning property taxes and no action in Des Moines. Our surface water is the most polluted in America.

These issues cross party lines. People of all persuasions can agree that we need to work on them. Sand tells people that we can if we can rise above political partisanship. That was a big part of Barack Obama’s appeal in Iowa, and Tom Vilsack’s. Democrats speak fondly of former Gov. Bob Ray, even though they couldn’t come close to beating him or Terry Branstad. (Branstad showed up for a Kossuth County Democratic scholarship fundraiser in memory of State Rep. Dolores Mertz, D-Ottosen. Reynolds would never do that.)

It appears that Sand is onto something. There will be a time for partisanship approaching November 2026. His opponent will force it. President Trump will, as he declares war on We The People. We have to stick together if we’re going to climb out of the hole we dug here. So far, Iowans agree every time they sing along. We have an opportunity to elevate the debate to the issues. Sand has yet to identify what they are. Cautious is his MO.