Rob Sand Returns Home for Final Stop on 100 Town Hall Tour

If no one funds local news, your community is just rumors. Help Decorah News bring facts home. DECORAH — Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand brought his 100 town hall tour to a close Tuesday night in his hometown of Decorah, telling a packed crowd at the Danan Lansing Building on the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds that the state's political system is "broken" and calling for reforms to give independent voters more representation and reduce partisan influence in state government. Sand, who has served as auditor since 2019 and is now running for governor, said Iowa's two-party system traps voters into supporting candidates out of fear rather than conviction. "We vote mostly for one party or entirely for one party, but at the end of the day, we're mostly doing it because we feel trapped," Sand said. "Our political system is designed not to solve our problems, but to help people who are already in office get reelected." He encouraged the audience to reject political division and to "be curious and not judgmental," a phrase he said guides how he approaches disagreement. Sand, who grew up in Decorah, recalled lessons from his upbringing and from local projects such as the town's skate park as examples of how people with differing views can collaborate. He connected those experiences to his work as auditor, noting that he appointed both an independent and a Republican as deputies after first being elected, which he said reflected his commitment to public service over politics. During his remarks, Sand discussed his record in office, citing efforts to promote government efficiency through his Public Innovations and Efficiencies, or PIE, program, which he said has been adopted in other states. He also criticized recent laws passed by Republican legislators and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds that limit access to some state documents, saying they make it harder to identify misspent taxpayer funds. "This is what we get, ladies and gentlemen, from a broken political system," Sand said. "We can blame the people who made this decision, but there's a bigger picture here. Too much power for too few people for too long is a bad thing." Sand said he wants to make it easier for state employees to live and work in rural areas, a change he's already implemented in his own office. He also repeated his criticism of policies that prevent independent voters from participating in primaries, calling them "wrong and un-American." The event, held at the end of Sand's statewide town hall tour, included songs, laughter, and applause as he spoke for more than an hour, often pausing to greet longtime friends and neighbors. "I would not be who I am if it were not for this town and all the people who live here," Sand told the crowd. "You helped me learn to be a better person." He urged supporters to help share his message across the state: "Make Iowa not just bluer or redder, but truer and better." Video courtesy of Rob Sand for Iowa Join the community of savvy subscribers (for free)! Get the latest updates, tips, and insider information by subscribing to the free newsletter today.