Team Sand is celebrating one year since Rob Sand announced his campaign for governor of Iowa on May 12, 2025.
“Since day one of this campaign, Rob Sand has been traveling the state talking to Iowans of all political stripes about the issues that matter most to them – building support and breaking records at every turn along the way,” said Deputy Campaign Manager Emma O’Brien. “After a decade of one-party rule that has left Iowans worse-off, Iowans are ready for new leadership that puts people over politics. One year in and six months to go, the momentum only continues to grow for Rob and his vision for a better and truer Iowa.”
Over the last year, this campaign has:
- Raised a lot of money:
- Raised a record-breaking $2.25 million in the first 24 hours of his candidacy. These donations came from Democrats, Republicans, and independents across the state, including from all 99 counties.
- Raised over $9.5 million in 2025 from more than 115,000 donations from over 64,000 individual contributors, including donations from more than 4,000 no-party voters and more than 1,500 registered Republicans. In fact, Rob Sand received more support from Iowa Republicans than any of the Republican candidates running for governor did.
- Built lots of momentum:
- Signed up over 800 volunteers with the campaign in the first 24 hours, and that number grew to over 1,000 in the first week. Over 10,000 volunteers have signed up to volunteer with Team Sand to date.
- Visited every single Iowa county – including the two county seats in Lee County – as part of Rob’s annual 100 Town Hall Tour to hear directly from Iowans about what’s on their minds.
- Submitted a record-breaking 24,756 signatures to officially get on the ballot, more than seven times the minimum required, shattering the previous gubernatorial campaign record by nearly 9,000 signatures and the all-time record by nearly 1,000.
- Shifted the race from “Solid Republican” all the way to “Toss-Up” in the Cook Political Report.
- Reached thousands of Iowans:
- Answered more than 750 questions from over 10,100 Iowans who attended public events and held over 225 interviews with members of the media.
- Released three comprehensive plans as part of the “Truer Better Agenda,” including “Accountability for All,” “Healthier Iowa for All,” and a plan legalizing, regulating, and taxing adult-use cannabis in Iowa.
- Launched two TV ads, “Stealing is Bad” and “Family Tradition,” with over six-figures worth of buys across all platforms – TV, streaming, and digital.
To learn more about the last year of the campaign, read here. Or, to learn more about Rob and his candidacy, visit RobSand.com.
