<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/iowa/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iowa</a> Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand stated on September 4, 2026, that if elected in November, he would consider appointing an <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/independent/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">independent</a> to fill Sen. <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/chuck-grassley/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chuck Grassley’s</a> (R-IA) seat should it become vacant.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sand, who also serves as Iowa’s state auditor, made these comments while attending Labor Day celebrations in Iowa. He was asked about his potential choices for filling a vacancy in Grassley’s long-held seat.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Whatever the law is in the state of Iowa, I’d want to talk to a lot of different people about it and be pretty open-minded about who would go there,” Sand <a href="https://x.com/RayBaccari/status/2097082440879665250?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told</a> Iowa’s News Now when discussing how he would approach such a situation.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When asked if he would select someone from his own party or a Republican, Sand mentioned the possibility of choosing an independent candidate.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I’d be interested in an independent,” Sand said. “I think that we have a lot of people in this state who aren’t affiliated with either party. And yet, because we have this broken two-party system and the Democratic and Republican parties give themselves special legal privileges, they’re able to force independents out as candidates and discourage them as voters too.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">While Grassley has no plans to resign from the Senate seat he has held since 1980, his age of 92 raises the possibility of a vacancy before his term ends in 2029. According to <a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2020/69.8.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iowa law</a>, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement if a vacancy occurs while the Senate is in session or if the chamber will meet before the next general election.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Candidates in Iowa must appeal to independents, who make up approximately 35% of the electorate, surpassing the 27% of registered Democrats. Republicans account for about 37% of registered voters in the state.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In recent weeks, Sand has distanced himself from the Democratic Party, stating <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/4696635/rob-sand-josh-turek-do-not-want-kamala-harris-campaign-iowa/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">he would not want</a> former Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign with him and has indicated <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/state/4698644/rob-sand-kamala-harris-2028/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">she is not the right choice</a> for the White House in 2028.</p>
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The race for Iowa’s governorship is currently rated as “leans Democrat” by Cook Political Report. It was previously rated a “toss-up” between Sand and Republican candidate Zach Lahn until August 20, when the nonpartisan analyst changed the rating.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Recent polling from <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/iowa-2026-poll-hinson-leads-turek/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Emerson College Polling</a> shows Sand with a slight lead over Lahn, at 49% to 46%.</p>