Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Rob Sand

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Rob Sand

How Rob Sand built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Rob Sand is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 33rd Iowa Auditor of State since 2019. A Democrat, he previously served as an assistant attorney general of Iowa from 2010 to 2017. Sand successfully ran for state auditor in 2018, defeating the Republican incumbent Mary Mosiman, and was reelected in 2022. Notably, he currently holds the distinction of being the only Democratic statewide officeholder in Iowa, demonstrating his continued political success within a Republican-leaning state.

8 hours ago : Rob Sand Announces 2026 Iowa Gubernatorial Bid, Promising a 'New Direction'

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, has announced his candidacy for Governor in 2026. Sand is pitching a 'new direction' for Iowa in his upcoming campaign against Republicans.

2006: Aide for Ed Fallon

In 2006, Sand worked as an aide for Ed Fallon's campaign for governor of Iowa, and later became the campaign manager for Denise O'Brien.

September 2010: Appointed Assistant Attorney General

In September 2010, Sand was appointed Assistant Attorney General and became the lead prosecutor for the Iowa Film Office tax credit scandal.

2010: Assistant Attorney General

In 2010, Sand became the Assistant Attorney General of Iowa, marking a significant step in his legal career.

2010: Juris Doctor

In 2010, Sand earned his Juris Doctor degree, marking the completion of his formal legal education.

2017: Tipton Sentenced

In 2017, Eddie Tipton was sentenced to 25 years in prison for rigging a random number generator in the Hot Lotto fraud scandal. After completing the prosecution, Sand resigned from the Attorney General's office.

2017: End of time as Assistant Attorney General

In 2017, Sand concluded his service as Assistant Attorney General of Iowa.

2018: Elected Iowa State Auditor

In 2018, Sand was elected Iowa State Auditor, defeating Republican Mary Mosiman in the general election.

January 2, 2019: Sworn into Office

On January 2, 2019, Sand was sworn into office as Iowa State Auditor and announced a balanced leadership team.

2019: Became Iowa Auditor of State

In 2019, Robert Sand assumed the role of the 33rd Iowa Auditor of State.

2020: CARES Act Misspending Audit

In 2020, an audit conducted by Sand's office found that Governor Kim Reynolds misspent $21 million from the CARES Act, and the state returned the money.

November 2021: Accusations of Improper Use of Funds

In November 2021, Sand accused Governor Reynolds of improperly using nearly $450,000 in federal coronavirus relief funds.

December 2021: Announced Reelection Campaign

In December 2021, Sand announced that he would run for reelection in 2022, foregoing a campaign for governor.

January 2022: Mary Ann Hanusa announced run for State Auditor

In January 2022, Mary Ann Hanusa announced that she would run for state auditor.

May 1, 2022: The Winning Ticket Publication

On May 1, 2022, Sand's book "The Winning Ticket: Uncovering America's Biggest Lottery Scam", co-written with Reid Forgrave, was published.

2022: Reelected State Auditor

In 2022, Sand was reelected as the state auditor for Iowa.

May 2025: Announced candidacy for governor

In May 2025, Rob Sand announced his candidacy for governor of Iowa for the 2026 election.

2026: Future Aspirations

Sand is a candidate for governor of Iowa for 2026.