Rob Sand, the Hawkeye State’s auditor. With this in mind, party officials were delighted to see Sand launch a gubernatorial campaign this week, giving Democrats a top contender in the race to replace retiring Republican Gov.

Rob Sand, Iowa’s elected state auditor and the only Democrat now holding a major political office in the state, said on Monday that he would run for governor next year, boosting his party’s hopes of gaining a policymaking foothold in a place that Republicans dominate.

"I'm not a party line guy," Rob Sand said as he launched a gubernatorial campaign. "I'm a right or wrong guy."