(RI Photo)
Statewide Iowa (RI) — Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand and his running mate, Dave Muhlbauer, made their first public appearance together Wednesday night.
Sand says he picked Muhlbauer partly because of his consistency.
About 200 people attended the event in Manning, near Muhlbauer’s farm. Muhlbauer, who is finishing his second term as a county supervisor, is the only elected Democrat in Crawford County. His nomination for lieutenant governor will be made official Saturday by delegates at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention.
Republican nominee Zach Lahn has not announced his running mate. Republicans say leaked audio obtained by the Iowa Field Report blog shows Sand expressing views behind closed doors that differ from the unifying message he presents on the campaign trail. Sand suggested Republicans “will have to take their medicine” if he’s elected, because Republican lawmakers recently expanded the governor’s power in selecting Iowa judges. Sand said he would like to reverse those changes and return to the merit-based system in place six years ago.
A constitutional amendment passed over 60 years ago calls for a commission to interview applicants for openings on the Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. The commission sends three nominees to the governor, who appoints one. In 2019, Governor Reynolds signed a law that gave her and future governors authority to choose the majority of members on that judicial nominating commission.
