For many Iowa Democrats, May 12, 2025 — when Rob announced he was running — was the moment they’d all been waiting for. After all, Rob Sand is the only Democrat who holds a state office currently – all the rest are Republicans! Due to his outstanding, quite noticeable work as State Auditor, Rob has carved a name for himself within Iowa’s political landscape. As Auditor, he is well-respected by Republicans and Democrats alike. As prospective Governor, however, for many Iowans it is non-negotiable: he is funded by — and effectively aiding and abetting — the same people who are violating us. 

As a transgender woman, I think to myself, “The Lauridsens paid to put Republicans in place who have spent years slandering and attacking the rights of transgender people — and cutting off our access to healthcare.  Now they gave $7 M to their son-in-law who is telling us we just need to be nice to them and let bygones be bygones? He’s not standing up for us. That $7 M that was used to bankroll Rob’s campaign could have easily paid for all our surgeries.” The thought of voting for Rob makes my blood boil, just as I’m sure it does many other Iowans who are currently being harmed by the people Rob’s financiers helped put into office. This is a perfect example of rich people tossing desperately-needed dollars over the tops of peoples’ heads in order to hurt us, then pulling a bait-and-switch by then backing a moderate candidate that helps calm the people into submission.

Unfortunately, mainstream Democrats appear poised to ditch standing up for civil rights because they wrongly perceive that most Independents are centrists, and that they must move toward to the center to appeal to them. Put another way, there is a currently a narrative within the Democratic Party that seems to think most Independents are “somewhere in the middle” between Democrats and Republicans, when in fact many Independents have more in common with progressive Dems than they do with centrists. It is the Democratic Party’s tendency to move to the right every time things get dicey that turns Progressive Democrats and Independents off, and it it is the exact reason many progressive end up defecting from the party to become Independents. In summary, by moving to the right in favor of Rob, the Democratic Party is making the same mistake it’s made for decades: wrongly perceiving that most Iowans are politically in the center, when in fact most Iowans have strong principles, are tired of feeling like they have fake choices, and they refuse to compromise at times when we clearly see we’re having the wool pulled over our eyes.

Now is the time for Democrats to make a choice: will you move to the right because you’ve convinced each other the party needs do this in order to win, or will you finally become the party so many Americans wish you’d finally become? If you truly stand for civil rights, healthcare, and funding for public schools, stand on your principles and back a progressive candidate! Otherwise, you are likely going to lose the same constituencies you are trying to appeal to, and the Democratic Party will remain caught in the same cycle we’ve been stuck in for years: putting forth a centrist candidate, then blaming progressives and independents for not backing backing them, telling us, “Not voting is the same as voting for a Republican,” and “We have no choice but to vote for a centrist because Iowa is a deep red state!” Simply put, neither of those fallacies are not true. Democrats have a unique, progressive candidate to choose from now — early on in the primaries — so please don’t stick us with a Republican-backed candidate, then put us into a very uncomfortable “do or die” situation later, where we feel forced to vote for Rob to survive.

Iowa is not a Deep Red State – it is a Deep Jade State

Many Sand-supporting Dems are quick to inform people that Iowa is “a deep red state”, and that we have “no other choice” but to elect a centrist who appeals to both sides. This is why, however, many progressives and independents see Democrats as out-of-touch with average Iowans. We are not “deep red”: we are deep jade. Why? Because we’re deeply jaded about national and statewide politics. We see the two-party system as the problem because the candidates who get put forth by either party never address our most urgent, dire needs (e.g. housing, community gardens, access to nature, healthcare). Instead they toss millions of desperately-needed dollars over the tops of our heads in order to back predatory candidates who either are actively ripping benefits away from impoverished Citizens, or barely fighting for us when we’re violated. Too often when Democratic leaders do speak up, they speak in rhetoric, slogans, platitudes, and question-dodging instead of *actual plans* to address the issues. 

According to Independent Voter Project, there are more unaffiliated and third party voters than there are Republicans or Democrats:

Many Dems are convinced we need to put forth Rob Sand in order to appeal to center-leaning Republicans and Independents, however, by doing so, Dems are losing passionate, socially-influential progressives who will defect from the party and become independents if they see a progressive candidate snubbed by the party and ignored or twisted by media. I’m not sure where the common perception that “everyone who is not Republican or Democrat is somewhere in the middle” came from, but based on many political conversations I’ve had with other Iowans over the years, most Independents have more in common with Progressive Democrats than they do with centrists. In fact, it is the centrist-leaning Democratic Party that keeps Independents from backing Dems. When average Independents see Rob Sand put forth as the Democratic frontrunner, they don’t think, “I kind of like him – he’s more in the middle.” Rather, they think, “He’s backed by Republicans. This is why I don’t like politics – it’s all a scam. I’m not going to get behind something that’s fake. Both the parties are the same.” We’ve all heard it, and we’ve all heard it frequently. If you haven’t, you either don’t live in Iowa, or you’re insulated by living in the upper crust of society. Walk into a bar or ask people on the street what they think about party politicians. That’s where you hear the real answers, and that is where you will find, Iowans are deeply jaded by fake politicians who are out-of-touch with Iowans. Iowa is a deep jade state because Iowans are deeply jaded by business-as-usual politics.