2 Republicans are vying to flip Iowa's state auditor seat from Democrats
The race for Iowa state auditor, which Republicans see as a chance to reclaim the only statewide seat held by Democrats, features a same-party matchup between the lieutenant governor and a county supervisor.
Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer and Iowa County Supervisor Abigail Maas, both Republicans, are vying for their party’s nomination in the June 2 primary for the seat vacated after state Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat.
The Iowa State Auditor’s Office is responsible for scrutinizing the finances and spending of counties, cities, universities, school districts and other governmental subdivisions in the state. It also investigates potential fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars and public funds.
Cournoyer, 55 of Le Claire, pivoted to running for state auditor after Reynolds announced she would not seek reelection.
Before joining the governor’s office, Cournoyer represented Iowa Senate District 35, which covers Clinton County as well as part of northern Scott and southwestern Jackson counties.
Iowa Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer speaks during a tree planting for America 250 on April 24, 2026, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.
“I'm really doing this, I think, for the right reasons, to really continue the work that I did as a school board member and as a state senator and also as lieutenant governor to continue to lessen the tax burden on Iowans and use my background in technology to run government more like a business,” Cournoyer said.
As of December, Cournoyer leads the race’s fundraising with over $180,000 compared to Maas’ roughly $55,000 — $20,000 of which came from a loan, according to state campaign finance reports.
Cournoyer has also racked up a slate of high-profile endorsements, including from Reynolds and Republican Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst.
But Maas, 34, of South Amana, who frames herself as a grassroots candidate, believes her local government background and time spent talking to voters is helping her gain momentum and support across the state.
She argues her passion for accountability in government spending stems from her roughly five years serving as a county supervisor, where she balances local budgets, authorizes county department funds and traces tax payer dollars.
Iowa County Supervisor Abigail Maas, candidate for Iowa state auditor, speaks during Westside Conservative Club at Machine Shed restaurant on Aug. 13, 2025, in Urbandale.
“It's important that we get somebody in that office who is passionate about it and isn't using it as a seat warmer or a launching pad to higher office,” Maas said. “I have a real plan that's going to take me probably several terms to get through.”
Democrat Taylor Wettach, a lawyer from Muscatine, is running for his party’s nomination. He joined the race in January after a short run for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District seat.
A focus on transparency, increasing efficiency through technology
Both Republicans are underscoring the importance of increasing transparency in government spending to reduce property taxes, which they believe can be accomplished through better utilization of technology.
Cournoyer, who has worked in tech for more than 30 years, believes the auditor’s office can be a tool to provide more clarity and data on Iowa’s property tax system. She is recommending the state expand grant programs for local governments to modernize their technology.
“If we're going to continue to look at property tax relief, again, we have to look at how we can modernize and make local government run more efficiently,” Cournoyer said.
Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer speaks during the Iowa 250 announcement at the Iowa State Capitol on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Des Moines.
Maas is proposing a publicly available statewide software system to better align budget tracking for local and state government and allow Iowans to have a clearer picture of where their tax dollars are going.
“You might be able to request information from the auditor or the city clerk on budgets, but even then, it kind of takes a PhD to understand what is actually going on within those,” Maas said.
The candidates’ calls for enhancing budget tracking software come against the backdrop of a potential state contract with a technology company to use artificial intelligence for auditing county and school district budgets, a proposal floated by Iowa House Republicans in April.
Cournoyer, who did her 8th grade science project on artificial intellgence, said the state should consider utilizing the advancing technology white pairing it with human oversight, adding partnerships with private entities help “enhance” government efficiency and taxpayer protection.
“There's a lot of opportunities out there in the financial auditing world to leverage the power of artificial intelligence in terms of the depth and breadth of analysis that can happen with large sets of data,” Cournoyer said.
Iowa County Supervisor Abigail Maas will run for state auditor as a Republican in 2026.
Maas, however, is skeptical of the move, arguing local government budget data is too vague to provide an accurate picture of local government spending.
“Knowing what software we're all working with right now, a lot of it's clunky, a lot of it's outdated. I don't know that AI could really comb through it in an, I would say an educated or accurate manner,” Maas said. “If you saw some of the reports and stuff that we get, they're ancient.”
Wettach prepared to build on Sand’s legacy
Wettach, 35, believes the role of Iowa state auditor “matters more than ever,” to serve as a check on spending of tax payer money as the cost of living skyrockets for Iowans.
Democrat Taylor Wettach, who abandoned his congressional campaign to run for state auditor, speaks during a campaign stop at El Rey Azteca on Jan. 17 in Knoxville.
“In this critical moment when folks are really facing so many challenges today and where government services are not being provided for them often or in otherwise money is being corruptly taken, it's really important to make sure we continue to have an independent watchdog in this office that will fight for Iowans,” Wettach said.
Before running for office, Wettach worked as an international trade and national security lawyer who left his law firm when it entered into a settlement with the Trump Administration following targeted executive orders.
He hopes to carry forward initiatives implemented by Sand, including the Public Innovations and Efficiencies, or PIE, program, which provides a framework for state and local governments to increase efficiency in their operations.
“This race is not about left versus right. It's about right versus wrong,” Wettach said. “It's about making sure that our government works for Iowans and is not being rigged by those at the very top against the rest of us.”
This report was syndicated from USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.
