Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds shocked voters when she announced she would not be running for re-election in 2026. Iowa does not have term limits on governor, making the 2026 election the first election in 20 years that Iowa voters will vote on an open-seat race. It’s a rare opportunity for Democrats, who believe Iowa State Auditor, Rob Sand, could be the key to turning the reliably red Iowa blue.

Sand is being promoted as a “gun-toting Christian” who could draw Trump supporters. In a party hampered by its support for men competing in women’s sports, defunding the police, and open borders, Sand presents himself as a moderate. At a town hall, he said he was not a fan of political parties and criticized the political division that has rocked the nation. “We should be talking about the fact that it is poison, we should still be talking about the fact that no matter what your party is, partisanship in this state and in this country has gone too far,” he said. He has also pushed back on some of his party’s policies, stating boys should not play girls’ sports and supporting some restrictions on SNAP food benefits.

Democrats have pushed that Iowa is ripe with opportunity, particularly after Democrat Catelin Drey defeated Republican Christopher Prosch in a special election for the a seat on Iowa State Senate’s District 1. Drey beat Prosch 55% to 44% in a district won heavily by Trump in the 2024 election. Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, painted the win as a MAGA rejection. “Voters are rejecting the failing MAGA agenda and leaving Republican candidates in the dust. State legislative Democrats are delivering progress, responding to their communities’ concerns about the chaos in Washington, and providing the steady leadership voters are asking for — leadership that has propelled candidates like Sen.-elect Catelin Drey to victory this year,” she said in a statement. “More special elections are right on the horizon, and we’re just getting started.”

Iowa Republicans, however, have painted the Democrats’ hopes as “desperate.” “National Democrats were so desperate for a win that they activated 30,000 volunteers and a flood of national money to win a state senate special election by a few hundred votes,” said Republican Party of Iowa Chair, Jeff Kaufmann. “If @DNC thinks things are suddenly so great again for them in Iowa, they will bring back the caucuses.”