Democrat Rob Sand flips Iowa's governor seat

Zoom in: Sand, Iowa's two-term state auditor and the only Democrat holding statewide elected office, campaigned on government accountability, affordability and reducing political divisions.

• Lahn, a farmer and businessman from Belle Plaine, ran as a conservative political outsider who supported cleaning the state's waterways and gained support from the Make America Healthy Again movement.

Flashback: No Democrat has won Iowa's governorship since Chet Culver in 2006. He lost his reelection bid to Republican Terry Branstad in 2010.

• Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who took office in 2017, chose not to seek another term, creating Iowa's first open gubernatorial race in two decades.

The intrigue: Sand gained national attention for his nonpartisan stance, criticizing both Republicans and Democrats and calling for more government accountability.

• He also related to voters through his small-town background and love of hunting and Casey's pizza.

What they're saying: During Sand's victory speech at the State Historical Society in downtown Des Moines, he continued to emphasize Iowans' desire to end partisan bickering and help find a unified, repaired government.

• "Thank you to Republican and independent public endorsers of this campaign for your courage and for your leadership, genuinely," Sand said. "Iowa Democrats, you've had a hard few years here in Iowa, but balanced government has been restored."

What we're watching: How Sand will work with a majority Republican Legislature next session.

What's next: Sand and his running mate, Dave Muhlbauer, will take office in January.