A lot of politics is spent trying to figure out where people disagree. Too often, it turns into a search for the one issue that divides people, while everything else they might actually agree on gets ignored. The last decade of one-party control here in Iowa has shown exactly what that looks like.

But when you talk to people across Iowa, that’s not how most of them see it. They’re looking at the same challenges and asking, in different ways, why things aren’t working and what it would take to fix them.

That’s part of what this campaign has reinforced for me.  

That’s why I’m proud to announce more than 100 registered Republicans across Iowa have chosen to publicly support our campaign for governor. They’re part of a growing group we’ve been calling “Rob-Publicans.”

If we’re going to restore decency and respect in politics, and actually tackle the problems that are weighing us down, we need to reach voters of all stripes — wherever they are. Will you invest a few dollars ASAP to help me win this toss-up race so I can be a Governor for All?

What’s a “Rob-Publican,” you ask? Great question! 

It’s a person who is registered to vote as a Republican, or voted for the opposite party up and down the ballot in 2024, 2022, or for decades, but are backing my campaign for governor because they want to see an Iowa that isn’t redder or bluer, but better and truer.

Did you know…

• More than 100 registered Republicans have stepped up to support this campaign. 
• More than 1,800 Republican donors across the state have chipped in. 
• 5,000 Republican and no-party voters signed our petition to get on the ballot.
• Republicans are contributing to our campaign at a higher rate than to our opponent’s.

These Rob-publicans didn’t switch parties, and I didn’t switch mine. That’s not what this is about. I’ll let a few Rob-publicans explain it for themselves:

Steven Noah, the former Executive Director of the Republican Party of Iowa, said he’s supporting this campaign because he knows I’m committed to accountability, transparency, and fairness, and that I’ve always tried to do what’s right, not what’s politically convenient. 

Coming from someone who spent years leading the Republican Party of Iowa, that means a lot. 

Former Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said effective leadership is about solving problems, not adhering to party politics. 

Fort Dodge small business owner Kevin Stumpf put it about as well as anyone could: “I don’t vote for a letter next to someone’s name. I vote for competence, honesty, and results.”

I smiled when I read that because, in a lot of ways, it captures what this campaign is all about. 

I want to say thank you to these folks for having the courage to go against the grain, especially in such polarized times. It’s why we applaud the Republicans and independents who come out to my town halls — a small way to give credit for doing something we should all do more often. Listening.  

I’m grateful to every Iowan — Republican, Democrat, and independent — who’s part of this campaign. It’s a reminder that we don’t have to agree on everything to agree on enough — and that’s usually where real progress starts.

We have tons of work to do in order to make Iowa the best and most united it can possibly be, and this toss-up race will be a challenge to win. I hope you’ll pitch in a grassroots donation today to help boost my campaign for governor before the end of the month. 

My opponent has divisive attacks and fear-mongering messages, but I have the Biggest Tent in Hawkeye history. If we work together and give when we can, we’ll win this election in November.

Yours,
Rob Sand