I always remember Rob Sand as being the dead deer guy. When he was first running for office, he had Facebook ads that kept popping up on my feed of him holding a dead deer head. It was just gross. I wouldn't want to log into facebook and see someone holding a dead monkey, or a dead cat, or a dead dog, why would I want to see a dead deer? I got chewed up in the comments for saying something. He did actually apologize in person for it, saying he was just trying to appeal to rural Iowans. It was all actually kind of funny, and I do think he is a smart guy with the right values, but the catering to Rs is a turnoff for sure.
My opinion doesn't matter now, I live in Illinois now, and Pritzker just announced he is running again, so I am very happy with that news, and my governor, but I still keep an eye on Iowa politics and hope for the best for all of you.
I can live with the Hunter aesthetic since that’s a lot of my family but bagging on the people who will knock doors for him is just a bridge too far for me. I do love JB though. Jealous you get to vote for him!!
None of my family have ever been hunters, on either side. Farmers, yes, factory workers, yes, Harley motorcycle enthusiasts, yes, but no hunters. Not every rural Iowan enjoys killing wild animals. Call em a wild eyed liberal, I guess but it's a super gross aesthetic to me.
I've been back and forth between Iowa and Illinois all my life, hoping to make Illinois my last move. I love JB Pritzker, so excited to have him for governor. But I don't know, my exit from Iowa might be a good thing...the last time I lived in Illinois before this time, Iowa had a Democratic Trifecta in the Iowa House, Senate and Governor's mansion. Maybe I'm bad luck for Iowa😂
I’ll vote for him, but the “pick your poison” framing rubs me the wrong way too.
Formerly No Party, I registered as a Dem in 2020 because I knew I wanted no part of the childish incivility of the Rs and was ready to take a side against them. When I ran for Iowa House in a rural district in 2022 I downplayed my affiliation, but I stood proudly for Democratic policies.
I don’t mind if Sand rejects partisanship as long as he comes out strongly in favor of firearms measures, tax and wage policies that help working people, reproductive freedom, civil rights, etc.
As far as I can tell he’s basically just been asking for money. Hope he decides to take stands that show us he’s ready to be Governor and tackle issues beyond the financial responsibilities he seems to have handled well as auditor.
As we see from the popularity of AOC and Bernie and the Mamdani win, people are hungry for a contrast to MAGA (admittedly Iowa has a different sort of makeup), and time will tell whether middle-of-the-road can overcome extremism.
Caring about others, believing that we should all be equal under law, standing up for public education and commitment to the freedoms outlined in our Bill of Rights is not poison. I'm a Democrat and proud that we believe we are one people, one nation.
Thank you, Amber I have not supported the messaging and strategy of the Democratic Party in Iowa for about 10 years—or the national party, for that matter.
Amber, in her essay, did an excellent job of capturing why I instinctively bristle at how Rob attacks the Democrats. For the past decade, I've believed the way to criticize state and national Democrats should focus on strategy and messaging. I believe that through good strategy and smart messaging, you can articulate clear, simple yet nuanced positions that avoid getting labeled as a "Democratic socialist." Rob can appeal to Republicans while simultaneously attacking some Republican policies as bad for Iowa. His comments almost portray Republicans and Democrats as equivalent in terms of policy.
Rob Sand doesn't have to step on Democrats to explain his concerns with some isolated, rigid positions that certain Democratic individuals or groups insist upon. He could demonstrate how he would run government more collaboratively—like other Democratic governors who have worked effectively with Republicans and others who disagreed with them.
Instead of his approach of describing politics as "picking between two poisons" as he runs to the middle, he could frame his positions more constructively. All his current messaging does is reinforce cynicism toward government and politics, which in turn only reinforces the anti-government views that benefit Trump and his ilk.
I understand Rob’s supporters would argue in Iowa and beyond, the Democratic brand can be a liability. By downplaying party labels and embracing a more eclectic mix of policies, Sand is building his own brand—one he hopes will resonate with voters disenchanted by rigid partisan divides. (Kind of like what Trump did with R’s?)
Whether Sand’s gamble pays off remains to be seen. But it likely won’t be the last. Until Democrats at both state and national levels can offer a clear, positive, and relatable brand—one that connects with Americans’ hopes and concerns—more candidates will pursue similarly individual, sometimes ideologically mixed campaigns.
Thanks for your column regarding Rob Sand's run for Governor. I kept your thoughts in mind as I attended a Rob Sand Town Hall in ruby red Dickinson County last night. It was an overflow crowd for the space that had been reserved. By a show of hands, it was attended by registered Republicans, Independents, Democrats and a few unaffiliated. He opened the event with everyone singing a stanza of America The Beautiful. It was a lovely start and then he launched into his history, background and experience. He quickly switched to the Q&A portion of the Town Hall. There were many thoughtful and extremely pertinent questions. He also specifically asked for questions from any Republicans in the room. He is not afraid to be challenged and he gave good straightforward answers to every question. In my mind, he is the perfect candidate for the race to the governorship. He made it clear that he is not beholden to a 'party' but rather to the people of Iowa. He has a fundamental desire to SERVE the citizens--not to serve a party. He has guiding principles that seem to erase party lines and unite instead of divide. As a liberal Democrat, I find him so refreshing. I think that even Republicans find it hard to disagree with his message. The fact that he is running as a Democrat may be the only reason a Republican can find to oppose him, but that is a mistake on their part.
Rob has every scheduled Town Hall listed on his website. I urge everyone to go see him in person and see what you think. The crowd last night was excited and enthusiastic. With 16 months to go, it was a pleasant surprise to see this kind of support.
I also don't like his avoidance of making serious suggestions about how to address our water quality problems in Iowa. He's even doing the thing where he describes calls for change as "attacks on farmers." Hope he gets better on this.
Speaking of shitty Iowa water, I’m eager to hear his policies on fixing both Iowa’s water quality and cancer crisis. If he wants broad support, we need to hear his policies on these two significant issues
I always remember Rob Sand as being the dead deer guy. When he was first running for office, he had Facebook ads that kept popping up on my feed of him holding a dead deer head. It was just gross. I wouldn't want to log into facebook and see someone holding a dead monkey, or a dead cat, or a dead dog, why would I want to see a dead deer? I got chewed up in the comments for saying something. He did actually apologize in person for it, saying he was just trying to appeal to rural Iowans. It was all actually kind of funny, and I do think he is a smart guy with the right values, but the catering to Rs is a turnoff for sure.
My opinion doesn't matter now, I live in Illinois now, and Pritzker just announced he is running again, so I am very happy with that news, and my governor, but I still keep an eye on Iowa politics and hope for the best for all of you.
I can live with the Hunter aesthetic since that’s a lot of my family but bagging on the people who will knock doors for him is just a bridge too far for me. I do love JB though. Jealous you get to vote for him!!
None of my family have ever been hunters, on either side. Farmers, yes, factory workers, yes, Harley motorcycle enthusiasts, yes, but no hunters. Not every rural Iowan enjoys killing wild animals. Call em a wild eyed liberal, I guess but it's a super gross aesthetic to me.
I'm sorry we've lost you. But wonderful Governor you have. Great human.
I've been back and forth between Iowa and Illinois all my life, hoping to make Illinois my last move. I love JB Pritzker, so excited to have him for governor. But I don't know, my exit from Iowa might be a good thing...the last time I lived in Illinois before this time, Iowa had a Democratic Trifecta in the Iowa House, Senate and Governor's mansion. Maybe I'm bad luck for Iowa😂
I’ll vote for him, but the “pick your poison” framing rubs me the wrong way too.
Formerly No Party, I registered as a Dem in 2020 because I knew I wanted no part of the childish incivility of the Rs and was ready to take a side against them. When I ran for Iowa House in a rural district in 2022 I downplayed my affiliation, but I stood proudly for Democratic policies.
I don’t mind if Sand rejects partisanship as long as he comes out strongly in favor of firearms measures, tax and wage policies that help working people, reproductive freedom, civil rights, etc.
As far as I can tell he’s basically just been asking for money. Hope he decides to take stands that show us he’s ready to be Governor and tackle issues beyond the financial responsibilities he seems to have handled well as auditor.
As we see from the popularity of AOC and Bernie and the Mamdani win, people are hungry for a contrast to MAGA (admittedly Iowa has a different sort of makeup), and time will tell whether middle-of-the-road can overcome extremism.
You are not wrong, again.
I hope Rob changes his approach.
Caring about others, believing that we should all be equal under law, standing up for public education and commitment to the freedoms outlined in our Bill of Rights is not poison. I'm a Democrat and proud that we believe we are one people, one nation.
Oh, and women having control of their own bodies.
Common sense for a better Iowa.
Not poison.
Thank you, Amber.
Thanks for speaking up, Amber. I am with you.
Thank you, Amber I have not supported the messaging and strategy of the Democratic Party in Iowa for about 10 years—or the national party, for that matter.
Amber, in her essay, did an excellent job of capturing why I instinctively bristle at how Rob attacks the Democrats. For the past decade, I've believed the way to criticize state and national Democrats should focus on strategy and messaging. I believe that through good strategy and smart messaging, you can articulate clear, simple yet nuanced positions that avoid getting labeled as a "Democratic socialist." Rob can appeal to Republicans while simultaneously attacking some Republican policies as bad for Iowa. His comments almost portray Republicans and Democrats as equivalent in terms of policy.
Rob Sand doesn't have to step on Democrats to explain his concerns with some isolated, rigid positions that certain Democratic individuals or groups insist upon. He could demonstrate how he would run government more collaboratively—like other Democratic governors who have worked effectively with Republicans and others who disagreed with them.
Instead of his approach of describing politics as "picking between two poisons" as he runs to the middle, he could frame his positions more constructively. All his current messaging does is reinforce cynicism toward government and politics, which in turn only reinforces the anti-government views that benefit Trump and his ilk.
I hope he chooses another message. Because this one sucks big time!!
I understand Rob’s supporters would argue in Iowa and beyond, the Democratic brand can be a liability. By downplaying party labels and embracing a more eclectic mix of policies, Sand is building his own brand—one he hopes will resonate with voters disenchanted by rigid partisan divides. (Kind of like what Trump did with R’s?)
Whether Sand’s gamble pays off remains to be seen. But it likely won’t be the last. Until Democrats at both state and national levels can offer a clear, positive, and relatable brand—one that connects with Americans’ hopes and concerns—more candidates will pursue similarly individual, sometimes ideologically mixed campaigns.
Thanks for your column regarding Rob Sand's run for Governor. I kept your thoughts in mind as I attended a Rob Sand Town Hall in ruby red Dickinson County last night. It was an overflow crowd for the space that had been reserved. By a show of hands, it was attended by registered Republicans, Independents, Democrats and a few unaffiliated. He opened the event with everyone singing a stanza of America The Beautiful. It was a lovely start and then he launched into his history, background and experience. He quickly switched to the Q&A portion of the Town Hall. There were many thoughtful and extremely pertinent questions. He also specifically asked for questions from any Republicans in the room. He is not afraid to be challenged and he gave good straightforward answers to every question. In my mind, he is the perfect candidate for the race to the governorship. He made it clear that he is not beholden to a 'party' but rather to the people of Iowa. He has a fundamental desire to SERVE the citizens--not to serve a party. He has guiding principles that seem to erase party lines and unite instead of divide. As a liberal Democrat, I find him so refreshing. I think that even Republicans find it hard to disagree with his message. The fact that he is running as a Democrat may be the only reason a Republican can find to oppose him, but that is a mistake on their part.
Rob has every scheduled Town Hall listed on his website. I urge everyone to go see him in person and see what you think. The crowd last night was excited and enthusiastic. With 16 months to go, it was a pleasant surprise to see this kind of support.
I also don't like his avoidance of making serious suggestions about how to address our water quality problems in Iowa. He's even doing the thing where he describes calls for change as "attacks on farmers." Hope he gets better on this.
Speaking of shitty Iowa water, I’m eager to hear his policies on fixing both Iowa’s water quality and cancer crisis. If he wants broad support, we need to hear his policies on these two significant issues