Rob Sand (D), Zach Lahn (R), and Nicholas Gluba (L) are running in the general election for governor of Iowa on November 3, 2026.
The Hill's Caroline Vakil said, "While Iowa hasn’t elected a Democrat for governor in two decades, Democrats see an unusually strong candidate in Sand. He is currently the only member of the party to hold a statewide office in Iowa ... Lahn has touted his background as a six-generation Iowan and positioned himself as the anti-establishment Republican candidate."
Sand was elected Iowa Auditor in 2018. He earlier worked as the chief prosecutor for public corruption cases in the office of the Iowa Attorney General. Sand completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. In his response, Sand said he "uncovered more waste, fraud, and abuse in a single term than any other State Auditor in Iowa history ... I had both an independent and a Republican in senior leadership positions, and promoted – not fired – employees who made campaign contributions to my political opponents." Sand's running mate is Dave Muhlbauer (D).
