A Democrat in Name Only

Rob Sand is a Democrat running for governor of Iowa. But he doesn't spend much time bragging about his party. The 44-year-old state auditor rides his bike across Iowa, sings patriotic songs with crowds, and tells voters that the two-party system is broken. He wants Iowans to trust him — even if they don't trust his party label.

Sand is Iowa's state auditor, which means his job is to make sure the government spends money honestly. He is very well known across the state. On any given day, you might see him in a TV ad, on Instagram eating pizza, or at a town hall meeting singing 'America the Beautiful' with people from both parties. Hundreds of people recognize him everywhere he goes and often ask for selfies.

Sand's Democratic Party has struggled in Iowa for years. No Democrat has been elected governor there since 2006. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by almost 200,000 people. That means Sand needs many voters who don't usually pick Democrats to choose him — a very difficult task.

What makes Sand stand out is that he doesn't really love being a Democrat. He has called his own party 'the lesser of two evils.' When asked if he enjoyed being in the party, he made a face and said he couldn't imagine liking any political party. His team even asked for party symbols to be removed from the walls before one event, so more people would feel welcome.

Sand's big idea is to change the way elections work. He wants Iowa to use 'approval voting,' which would let people support more than one candidate at a time. He also wants an open primary system, where all voters pick from the same list of candidates. He believes these changes would reward polite politicians and stop one party from controlling everything.

At his town hall events, Sand does something unusual. He starts by applauding the Republicans, independents, and Democrats who showed up. The crowd then sings 'America the Beautiful' together before Sand talks about his goals, which include fighting corruption and improving public schools. Some questions from the audience are friendly, and some are very tough.

Not everyone likes Sand's approach. Some on the political left are upset that he said biological males should not play in women's sports. Others were angry that he did not strongly speak out after two people were killed by federal immigration officers. Still, many progressives find him acceptable and say he focuses on making government work well for everyone.

Sand's Republican opponent is Zach Lahn, a former Republican Party worker who grew up in Iowa but has lived in Kansas for most of the past decade. Lahn campaigns on protecting small farms and banning certain vaccines. He has accused Sand of hiding his true, more liberal beliefs, comparing him to a fake TV character whose perfect life turns out to be an illusion.

Back in Sand's hometown of Decorah, things feel much friendlier. A reporter visited during Nordic Fest, a celebration of Scandinavian culture with Viking reenactments and a parade. Sand rode in a convertible while his aunt rushed from her food stand to give him fresh Norwegian flatbread. His old high school friend said the running joke was that someday Rob would be president.

Right now, the race looks close but hopeful for Sand. A well-known political tracker recently changed its view of the race from 'lean Republican' to 'toss up.' New polls show Sand leading his opponent by five points. If Sand wins, it could prove that Iowa is not a fully Republican state — and that a different kind of Democrat can still win.