Iowa Governor-Elect Sand Names Chief, Expands Cross-Party Team

Iowa Gov.-elect Rob Sand, a Democrat, defeated Republican Zach Lahn to become the state’s first Democratic governor elected since 2006, but he will face a Republican-controlled Legislature when he takes office in January. Sand campaigned on government accountability and cross-party cooperation, while education funding, including the state’s education savings account program, was a major point of disagreement with Lahn. In beginning his transition, Sand named Abe Rakov as chief of staff and added independent state Rep. Brian Lohse and former Republican Party of Iowa Chair Mike Mahaffey to a transition team led by Elisabeth Buck and Morgan Miller. Sand said he wants people with differing perspectives involved, and the team’s cross-party makeup reflects his pledge to put Iowans above partisan politics.