{"id":2655676,"date":"2026-09-07T21:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T01:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rob-sand-open-to-independent-appointee-if-grassley-vacates\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T21:29:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T01:29:21","slug":"rob-sand-open-to-independent-appointee-if-grassley-vacates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rob-sand-open-to-independent-appointee-if-grassley-vacates\/","title":{"rendered":"Rob Sand open to independent appointee if Grassley vacates"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frob-sand-open-to-independent-appointee-if-grassley-vacates%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2655676&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>iowa Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand stated that if elected, he is open to appointing an independent to fill the Senate seat currently held by Chuck Grassley, should a vacancy occur. Sand emphasized his willingness to consider a broad range of candidates and expressed concern about Iowa\u2019s broken two-party system,which restricts independents&#8217; opportunities. While grassley, age 92, has no plans to step down, there remains a possibility of vacancy before his term ends in 2029. Iowa\u2019s large independent voter population (about 35%) makes it crucial for candidates to appeal to non-affiliated voters. Sand has been distancing himself from the democratic Party recently, indicating he woudl prefer an independent appointee and suggesting he does not favor campaign assistance from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/you-have-a-rendezvous-with-destiny-mr-vice-president-on-january-6th-vice-president-pence-will-choose-the-direction-of-the-world-for-years-to-come-like-thomas-je\/\" title=\"\u201cYou Have a Rendezvous with Destiny, Mr. Vice President\u201d \u2013 On January 6th Vice President Pence Will Choose the Direction of the World for Years to Come \u2013 Like Thomas Jefferson Did Centuries Ago\">current vice president<\/a> or political figures associated with her. The Iowa governor\u2019s race is competitive, with recent polls showing Sand slightly leading Republican Zach Lahn.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iowa\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"468\">Iowa<\/a> Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand said Monday that if he is elected in November, he would be open to appointing an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/independent\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4321\">independent<\/a> to Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-grassley\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"963\">Chuck Grassley\u2019s<\/a> (R-IA) seat should the vacancy occur.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sand, who is also Iowa\u2019s state auditor, spoke with reporters while making the rounds at Labor Day celebrations in the Hawkeye State and was asked who he would choose to fill a vacancy for the seat long held by Grassley.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4716105\/iowa-rob-sand-independent-grassley-vacancy\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Iowa Democratic governor hopeful open to independent appointee if Grassley vacates<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4710801\/gavin-newsom-south-carolina-trip-democrats-rebuilding-strategy\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Newsom\u2019s South Carolina trip doubles as test of Democrats\u2019 rebuilding strategy<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4709717\/rick-jackson-meta-settlement-law-social-media-georgia\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rick Jackson pledges to put Meta settlement standards into law for all social media in Georgia<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhatever the law is in the state of Iowa, I\u2019d want to talk to a lot of different people about it and be pretty open-minded about who would go there,\u201d Sand <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RayBaccari\/status\/2097082440879665250?s=20\">told<\/a> Iowa\u2019s News Now when asked how he would handle such a situation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When pressed over whether he would choose from his own party or a Republican, Sand offered a third option.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019d be interested in an independent,\u201d Sand said. \u201cI think that we have a lot of people in this state who aren\u2019t 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\u2019re able to force independents out as candidates and discourage them as voters too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Grassley has no plans to step down from the Senate seat he\u2019s held since 1980, at 92 years old, there is a possibility of his seat being vacated before his term ends in 2029. Under <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.iowa.gov\/docs\/code\/2020\/69.8.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.legis.iowa.gov\/docs\/code\/2020\/69.8.pdf\">Iowa law<\/a>, the governor appoints a replacement if the vacancy occurs while the Senate is in session or if the chamber will meet before the next general election.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Appealing to independents in Iowa is a must for candidates running in statewide elections. Voters who are <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/independentvoterproject.org\/voter-stats\/ia\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/independentvoterproject.org\/voter-stats\/ia\">not affiliated with either party<\/a> make up about 35% of the electorate, more than the 27% of voters who are registered as Democrats. Republicans make up about 37% of registered voters in the state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sand has been making moves to draw himself away from the core of the Democratic Party in recent weeks. He\u2019s said <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4696635\/rob-sand-josh-turek-do-not-want-kamala-harris-campaign-iowa\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4696635\/rob-sand-josh-turek-do-not-want-kamala-harris-campaign-iowa\/\">he would not want <\/a>former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning with him and has even gone as far as to say <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4698644\/rob-sand-kamala-harris-2028\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4698644\/rob-sand-kamala-harris-2028\/\">she is not the right choice<\/a> for the White House in 2028.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4700286\/iowa-candidates-cancer-crisis-midterm-elections\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4700286\/iowa-candidates-cancer-crisis-midterm-elections\/\">HOW IOWA\u2019S MARQUEE CANDIDATES AIM TO COMBAT STATE\u2019S SURGING CANCER CRISIS <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race for Iowa\u2019s governor\u2019s office is rated as \u201cleans Democrat\u201d by Cook Political Report. It was rated a \u201ctoss-up\u201d between Sand and Republican candidate Zach Lahn until Aug. 20, when the nonpartisan analyst shifted the race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent polling handed Sand a slight edge over Lahn, with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/emersoncollegepolling.com\/iowa-2026-poll-hinson-leads-turek\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/emersoncollegepolling.com\/iowa-2026-poll-hinson-leads-turek\/\">Emerson College Polling showing<\/a> a 49%-46% split in the Democrat\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sand open to independent pick for Grassley&#8217;s seat if elected<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2655677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26159052575495.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5626,5894,55070],"class_list":["post-2655676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-iowa","tag-politics","tag-rob-sand"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26159052575495.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2655676"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2655685,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655676\/revisions\/2655685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2655677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2655676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2655676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2655676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}