Rob Sand “Wants to ‘Flip Tables’ As Iowa Governor,” Brings Town Hall Tour to Mahaska, Davis, and Wapello Counties

Rob Sand: “We really need to work on making state government work for ordinary Iowans, not special interest groups and insiders.”

DES MOINES, IA – Yesterday, candidate for governor Rob Sand was back on the road for another three stops of his annual 100 Town Hall Tour, making stops 60, 61, and 62 in Mahaska, Davis, and Wapello counties. In Ottumwa, “Sand spoke to almost 100 people,” discussing his campaign for governor, his work as State Auditor, and his track record of bringing both parties together to get things done for Iowa – and how he will do the same thing as governor.

Rob was also in Makasha and Davis counties, where he answered questions from voters on Iowa’s failing education system, the rising unemployment rate across the state in key industries, and restoring local authority.

WATCH from KYOU:

Read more about Rob’s town hall tour stops below:

• Ottumwa Courier:

  • Sand has made a habit of unearthing wasteful spending in his time as auditor, but has served all of his time as state auditor, beginning in 2018, under a Republican trifecta. That didn’t stop him from hiring an independent and a Republican, both of whom donated to his opponent in 2022, to his senior staff.

  • “I think one-party control is bad, no matter which party it is. If you’re the type that thinks that everything would be better if only the other party were in control, you should visit California or New York,” Sand said. “The Democrats have a trifecta and they’ve got problems too.”

  • Sand told of a story in the New Testament when Jesus flipped the tables to demonstrate the temple had become a “den of robbers.” “The system is broken, but I like working with people in the other party,” he said. “But we need real accountability. We need to let the auditor’s office actually audit.”

• The Bloomfield Democrat:

  • “When you have a small group of people, and they’re left with all the power for too long, they end up serving themselves and serving special interest groups and not serving the public,” he said.

  • If elected, Sand said, “We really need to work on making state government work for ordinary Iowans, not special interest groups and insiders.” Lowering costs, restoring the past greatness of the education system, and restoring the powers of the auditor’s office are his priorities.

  • When asked how he would work with Republicans, he said, “I think just approaching people assuming that they want to do the right thing, as opposed to approaching them by demonizing them.”

• Des Moines Register:

  • Sand asked for a show of hands from those who are Republicans, independents and Democrats, and he asked the crowd to applaud for each group. He encouraged an open dialogue and urged curiosity, not judgment, of those who might disagree. He said it might “help us approach everybody else with a little bit more grace in our lives.”

  • Chrissy Rainey, a Tracy resident and registered Republican, said she thought Sand’s approach was “refreshing.” “I just wanted to come and listen because I am politically fatigued at this point. I think we all are,” she said.