Hunter
11/10/26
Iowa Governor-Elect Rob Sand announced a leadership team that consists of Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
In a release from Sand’s office, Abe Rakov will serve as Chief of Staff in the Governor’s office, and former chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa Mike Mahaffey and independent state Representative Brian Lohse will serve as the Republican and independent co-chairs of the transition steering committee.
Rakov has been an advisor to Sand since his first campaign for State Auditor, when Rakov moved to Des Moines as the executive director and co-founder of the national voting rights organization Let America Vote. Rakov previously served as the Deputy Secretary of State in Missouri and the Minority Staff Director of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee..
Lohse was elected as a Republican to the Iowa House of Representatives, representing Bondurant and the surrounding Polk County area in the Iowa House. He is now a registered independent. He was first elected in 2018, and previously served eight years on the Bondurant City Council and as Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Bondurant.
Mahaffey is a longtime figure in Iowa Republican politics, serving as chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa from 1987 to 1989. Mahaffey served as the Poweshiek County Attorney for 32 years.
This tripartisan leadership announcement comes on the heels of Gov.-Elect Sand announcing the selection of Morgan Miller and Elisabeth Buck as Transition Co-Directors.
In a statement from his office, Sand said Rakov, Lohse and Mahaffey “bring decades of experience and knowledge…with unique perspectives that will challenge us to work together, exactly how state government should work.”
Stay up to date on the Sand-Muhlbauer administration by visiting IowaForAll.com