Iowa governor-elect Rob Sand names 3 to team, says compromise is only option with Republican majorities

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — Democratic Gov.-elect Rob Sand named three people to his team, including a Republican and an independent, as he prepares to work with Republican majorities in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature.

Iowa will have a Democratic governor for the first time in about 15 years. A Democrat has not occupied Terrace Hill since 2011.

Team crosses party lines

The team includes Abe Rakov, a Democrat, who is Sand’s chief of staff. It also includes Brian Lohse, an outgoing Republican lawmaker who now says he is an independent and former chairman of Iowa GOP Mike Mahaffey.

During his campaign, Sand promised to work with all lawmakers and staff, regardless of party. The team is his first step.

Sand said he believes the best decisions from the state can come from working with people with whom he disagrees.

“The best decisions that you make are the ones where you listen to people that you think you disagree with, you find the places where you agree, you let them help you find the places where actually you think could use a little sharpening,” Sand said.

Working with Republican leaders

Sand and current Gov. Kim Reynolds are in the transition of power. Sand said compromise is the only option with Republican majorities in the Iowa House and Senate. He said he will communicate with Republican leaders.

Sand said he has spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh and House Speaker Pat Grassley about their goals this session. Both Republican leaders have said they are willing to work with Sand to help Iowans.

Grassley said the party will hold the executive branch accountable.

“At the end of the day it’s going to be a bill that is going to be my decision. Whether or not to veto or sign and so I want to be involved in deciding what goes into that bill to make sure that when it’s on my desk I have a clear feeling about what I want to do with it,” Sand said.

Sand said he is hopeful for success. He said there is a reason voters elected a Democratic governor and Republican lawmakers.

Sand said he has spoken with leaders and rank-and-file members from both parties and both chambers.

“I think the vast majority of them are looking around and going, okay, well look, like the voters have spoken, the people of Iowa have spoken and now we need to go get to work to try to improve state government so that we can serve them,” Sand said.

Campaign promises could stall

Sand said some of his campaign promises could stall without Republican support.

“I can’t guarantee you the legislature will get things done. I think they do. They have said they want to and they’ve said that publicly that they will be working with me on places we agree… good. Let’s go get stuff done, time will tell,” Sand said.

Two of Sand’s biggest campaign promises are ending Medicaid privatization and legalizing marijuana.

Republican lawmakers tried to codify the privatized system in to state law last legislative session.

Session starts Jan. 11

The legislative session begins Jan. 11. Sand said that is a tight deadline for his team to gather staff and introduce policy to legislative leaders.

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Isabella Warren covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email her at isabella.warren@kcrg.com; and follow her on Facebook at Isabella Warren TV on X/Twitter@isabellaw_gray, and on Instagram@IsabellaWarrenTV.