Western Iowa farmer picked as Democrat Rob Sand’s running mate for Iowa governor
Dave Muhlbauer, a farmer and county official, is Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand’s running mate and lieutenant governor nominee, Sand’s campaign announced Monday.
Muhlbauer, 42, is a fifth-generation family farmer from Manilla who is serving his second term on the Crawford County Board of Supervisors.
Sand’s campaign in a Monday morning news release introduced Muhlbauer as a lifelong Iowan with a record of public service and bipartisan cooperation in western Iowa. Sand, in the release, said Muhlbauer’s background in agriculture and local government made him a strong partner on the campaign trail and potential lieutenant governor.
“A fifth-generation family farmer and cattleman from Crawford County, Dave Muhlbauer represents the best of our state: hard-working, honest, and always willing to help out,” Sand said in his statement. “Dave has a track record of working with everyone to deliver for western Iowa and knows it’s time to rotate the crops in state government.”
Crawford County Supervisor and Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Dave Muhlbauer stands for a photo at his farm on Friday, June 5, 2026, in Manilla.
Muhlbauer, in a statement, said the campaign would focus on service rather than partisan politics.
“When there’s work on the farm to be done, or your neighbor needs help baling hay, you don’t ask who they voted for,” Muhlbauer said in a statement. “You put on your boots and lend a hand. Rob understands that, and that’s why I’m proud to be part of Team Sand.”
The Sand campaign plans to introduce Muhlbauer at an event Wednesday in Manning.
Muhlbauer’s nomination will be formally considered by party delegates Saturday at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention.
If confirmed as expected, the Sand-Muhlbauer pairing will become Iowa’s first all-male Democratic or Republican ticket for governor in 20 years; Jim Nussle and Bob Vander Plaats were the unsuccessful Republican ticket in 2006.
Zach Lahn, the Republican candidate for governor, has named Iowa state Rep. Derek Wulf as his running mate.
Iowa has an open-seat election for governor this year. Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds, who has held the office since 2017, is not seeking re-election.
Born and raised in Manilla, Muhlbauer attended the IKM Community School District before briefly attending Wartburg College and returning home to work on the family farm. His family has a long history in public service. Both his father, Dan Muhlbauer, and grandfather, Louis Muhlbauer, served as Crawford County supervisors and members of the Iowa Legislature.
Muhlbauer previously sought higher office, launching a campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2021. He was one of five Democrats seeking the party’s 2022 nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. However, Muhlbauer withdrew from the race before the primary election, citing the death of a nephew in an accident earlier that year.
Sand’s selection of Muhlbauer gives the statewide Democratic ticket a western Iowa voice and adds a candidate with deep roots in agriculture and local government as the party prepares for the 2026 general election campaign.
The choice also gives Democrats a nominee from one of Iowa’s most Republican-leaning counties. Crawford County backed Republican President Donald Trump over Democratic former vice president Kamala Harris by a 71 percent to 28 percent margin in the 2024 presidential election after supporting Trump over Democratic former president Joe Biden 68 percent to 31 percent in 2020.
Following Sand’s announcement, state and national Democratic leaders quickly rallied behind the selection.
Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association chair and Delaware Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay endorsed Muhlbauer, describing him as a leader deeply rooted in rural Iowa. Gay contrasted the Democratic ticket with the state’s current leadership, saying Sand and Muhlbauer would focus on rebuilding Iowa’s economy, strengthening public schools and ensuring Iowans have a voice in state government.
“For eight years on the Crawford County Board of Supervisors, Dave has shown up for his neighbors with a clear-eyed understanding of what Iowa’s farmers, workers, and local communities are actually up against,” Gay said in a statement.
Iowa Statehouse Democratic leaders Brian Meyer of Des Moines and Janice Weiner of Iowa City praised the selection in statements they issued.
“(Muhlbauer) will bring a unique perspective to the ticket and will be able to immediately join Rob in fighting insider corruption in Des Moines,” Meyer said. “With rural hospitals and schools closing, family farm foreclosures increasing, and prices soaring, the Sand-Muhlbauer ticket offers a strong voice for ending one-party control in the state. I cannot think of a better choice.”
Weiner said she first met Muhlbauer in 2021 and came to value his understanding of how state and local governments could better serve Iowans and that rural communities had faced significant challenges under Republican leadership of the state.
“Dave understands intimately how rural counties and residents were left behind as the majority party prioritized insiders and special interests over addressing the issues that affect all Iowans, from economic growth to public education and fighting our rising cancer rates,” Weiner said.
Muhlbauer and his wife, Linda, have three children and a dog, Rambo.
