For those of you expecting a plan that might build on Iowa’s success, you’re going to be disappointed by what you see. But for those of you who have paid attention to the way Rob Sand acts and what he says, his latest move will come as no surprise.
After nearly a year on the campaign trail, the State Auditor has finally unveiled his first major policy proposal. It’s a radical plan to “tear down” the state’s gold-standard election system and replace it with a chaotic, California-style experiment.
In a newly released plan, Sand proposes scrapping Iowa’s traditional primary system and replacing it with a “jungle primary.” Under this scheme, all candidates—regardless of party—run together on a single ballot. From there, up to four candidates would advance to the general election, where voters would use approval voting to select multiple candidates.
As Sand himself put it in his launch video: “Sometimes you have to tear the whole thing down and start over again.” That’s a disturbing sentiment for a state that already leads the nation in election integrity.
Iowa, Nah, California? Oh yeah!
Let’s look at the reality on the ground. Iowa already has what high-tax, high-spend states like California, Illinois, and Massachusetts are still trying to figure out: secure, transparent, and fast elections. Because of years of reforms led by Iowa Republicans, we have Voter ID firmly in place, secure ballots, and nearly all results delivered on election night.
Reader Submission: @RobSandIA yesterday-#iagov https://t.co/YrLDZmQYR8 pic.twitter.com/ifVBavpbQc
— Iowa Field Report.com (@IAFieldReport) March 31, 2026
Sand’s proposal doesn’t build on this success; it eviscerates it. As RGA Communications Director Kollin Crompton noted, the plan is a direct assault on the integrity Iowans value:
“Rob Sand wants to tear down Iowa’s election systems… to rebuild it to be like California’s disastrous, jungle elections. Iowans value their safe and secure elections, but Rob Sand wants to destroy every bit of integrity the system has. He’s just like every Democrat around the country right now: rigging the system to benefit himself.”
The Trash Ballot Experiment
The “jungle primary” isn’t an innovation; it’s a failed model borrowed from the most dysfunctional states in the union. In California, these systems have consistently created confusion and effectively shut out large portions of the electorate.
Then there is the “approval voting” component. By allowing voters to select multiple candidates, Sand’s plan moves away from the “one person, one vote” principle. This system is a breeding ground for exhausted ballots—or, as we should call them, trash ballots. In this black-box system, a candidate with the most support could actually lose to someone who was the fourth choice for the majority of voters. This complicated algorithm destroys voter confidence and turns Election Day into a weeks-long nightmare waiting for results.
The Radical Reality
For someone who has spent years in statewide office, this is a revealing first proposal. Instead of focusing on strengthening the Iowa Model, Rob Sand is proposing to dismantle it. Instead of the clarity of our current system, he’s offering the uncertainty of a jungle primary.
Iowans don’t need their elections “torn down” and rebuilt in the image of San Francisco or Chicago. They need a governor who will protect the integrity we’ve already worked so hard to build. Rob Sand’s first big idea proves that his real priority isn’t the Iowa voter—it’s a radical overhaul that benefits him.
