Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly spoke at an event at the Iowa State Education Association headquarters in Des Moines Oct. 8, 2026. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly joined Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand in Des Moines Thursday, saying her tenure shows it is possible to be an effective Democratic governor while working with a GOP-controlled state Legislature.
Joining Sand in person at the Iowa State Education Association headquarters, Kelly said when she was first elected in 2018, Kansas faced a “very similar situation” to Iowa as the state experienced budget problems — including public schools being “chronically underfunded.” Since then, she said, Kansas has “fully funded our schools now for eight years in a row,” alongside making additional investments in public education and special education services.
“None of this has been easy, and none of it happened because one party got its way,” Kelly said. “It happened because we worked across the aisle and stayed focused on our schools. After two terms, I am proud to say we did get things back on track. We balanced our budget, we funded our schools every year, and we built records for business investment and job creation. … What does that prove? That with the laser focus on the issues that matter, you can turn things around. And Rob Sand is that leader.”
At the event, educators asked Sand, the current state auditor, what he would do to better support students and staff in Iowa’s public school system. They also asked Sand how he would address changes made in recent years to the state’s Area Education Agencies, which providing services for special education students. While he has said he would support a 5% increase to K-12 funding in his first year as governor, Sand also warned that he would not have the ability to reverse measures passed into law by GOP majorities, under the assumption that Republicans will continue to hold legislative majorities in Iowa.
“I’m not going to be able to unilaterally undo things, and I’m not the kind of person who’s going to stand in front of you and make promises that I know that we have a constitutional system of self-governance that won’t let me keep that promise,” Sand said. “… I know that might sound disappointing, but it’s the truth. Here’s the piece that’s really easy to say that is exciting. More bad bills that hit my desk, I can veto.”
Kelly also said Sand may be in a more advantageous position than herself if elected governor in the Nov. 3, 2026 election. While Kansas has Republican supermajorities in both chambers, Iowa currently has a supermajority in the House and a majority in the Senate. She said working across the aisle in her state became more difficult as “moderate Republicans” were replaced by “MAGA”-affiliated Republicans, but said she has still been able to build relationships across the aisle to accomplish common goals.
“It’s not been easy to get things done, but if somebody knows where they want to go, there are ways and there are people that you will find if you’re willing to talk and be willing to listen … and now you will be able to find those legislators who can modify their approach or their vote to get where you want to go,” Kelly said. “You know, it may have to be transactional. You have to make some deals, and do really what they want over here, so that you can get what you really need over her. But there are ways to do it, and I have no doubt, given Rob’s history as your auditor … the fact that many people have been willing to work with him bodes well.”
She criticized Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial candidate, Zach Lahn, for his approach to state education, while pointing to a regular criticism from the campaign trail that he “still has a home in Kansas” and frequently travels to the state.
Earlier in the week, Kelly had released an advertisement supporting Sand in the 2026 gubernatorial campaign, in which she said though she generally supports Kansans, “in the Iowa governor’s race, I’m supporting the Iowan.”
“Zach, there are no hard feelings, but it is time to come back to Kansas,” Kelly said in the video. “As they say, there’s no place like home.”
Sand and Democrats have regularly criticized Lahn over his Iowa residency status, pointing to reports showing he lived and was a registered voter in Kansas prior to the 2024 election cycle. His residency changed in time to qualify him to run for Iowa governor in 2026. He also regularly travels to Kansas using his private plane – trips Lahn said are because some of his children are located in Wichita.
The two candidates faced off Monday at a debate hosted by KWQC in Davenport, where Lahn addressed some concerns about his residency and travel to Kansas. He said criticisms of his travel and time spent in Kansas were criticisms of his family.
“I’m gonna tell you this right now, this issue is about one thing. It’s about my children. That’s it,” Lahn said. “I have a blended family, and they split time. … I am not going to be intimidated on this.”
The Lahn campaign did not immediately return a message seeking a response for this article.
Kelly also said Lahn’s work in Kansas private schools shows he would not be the best choice for Iowans hoping to improve the state’s K-12 school system. In 2018, Lahn helped launch a private pre-K through 12th-grade school in Wichita, Kansas on the campus of Wichita State University called Wonder. The Kansas governor referenced a report from the Kansas Reflector that found Wonder owned Lahn and his wife Annie Lahn approximately $4.5 million in 2025, and that its expenses exceeded revenues in five of six years of operation.
“His plan for Iowa schools is to model them after the private school he started in Wichita, Kansas. That school is now $4.5 million dollars in debt. Iowa already has a $1.4 billion dollar budget hole. You don’t fix that by importing a failed model.”