With the left-wing Cook Political Report shifting their analysis of the Iowa gubernatorial race to leans Democrat from toss-up, CNN decided to capitalize on the purported momentum and ran a glowing puff piece about Democratic nominee Rob Sand. While boasting that Sand was aiming to bust “one-party rule” in Iowa on Thursday, CNN’s Inside Politics only gave his opponent one sentence as they portrayed Sand as possibly the most unifying politician since their precious President Obama.
CNN chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny handed off the introduction of his report to Sand, playing back-to-back-to-back clips of Sand leading his supporters in singing America the Beautiful at town hall events, while simultaneously glazing him:
[Cuts to video]
SAND: Someone over here, kick us off, pick a note and go.
[Sand and supporters singing America the Beautiful]
ZELENY: Rob Sand is asking Iowans to sing.
[Continuing to sing]
ZELENY: In one town after another.
[Continuing to sing]
ZELENY: An act of patriotism to soften the partisan divide.
Along with speaking with Sand about it, Zeleny beamed about how the Democratic nominee was trying to appeal to a broad swath of Iowans by sharing disgust with both parties:
ZELENY: Do you have to distance yourself from your party to win in a state like Iowa?
SAND: Um, I don't know. I just tell people what I think. Sometimes I agree with my party, sometimes I disagree. They might not like Democrats in general, and many Iowa Democrats don't like Republicans in general. But at the end of the day, again, they're willing to hear you out.
ZELENY: Just how willing is the question?
But as Sand nears his goal of hosting 100 town halls across Iowa, one thing is clear, he has plenty to say about both parties, little of which is good.
SAND (at a rally): I'm not really a big fan of either political party. I don't know why we have to be Democrats or Republicans. Has anyone ever given you a good answer to that? Says who?
With the Cook Political Report moving the Iowa gubernatorial race from toss-up to leans Dem, CNN decided to run a segment advertising Democrat Rob Sand.
They kick off their puff piece with Sand leading his supporters in singing America the Beautiful, and boasts he's trying topple… pic.twitter.com/VUxAKneaVe— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) August 27, 2026
“Sand, the state auditor is the only Democrat to hold statewide office in Iowa. He's pushing for an end to one-party rule,” Zeleny boasted, phrasing they wouldn’t like to use for blue states. He then delivered his one-and-only sentence on the Republican opponent, as if he was the bad guy in a David and Goliath tale: “He faces Republican businessman Zach Lahn in November.”
“In a hyper-partisan, loud summer, Sand’s attempt to turn down the temperature is drawing notice from some Republicans seeking change,” Zeleny touted. He then played soundbites of a Republican and a Democrat who liked Sand:
JOHN FISH (Iowa Republican): Politicians all kind of say the same thing we got to come together, we've got to do this thing. But for some reason, he seems a little bit more believable than most.
(…)
ELOISE DILLAVOU (Iowa Democrat): His approach is quite refreshing. It's what we need right now is to bring people together instead of trying to hate.
“Yet, he also knows the most plausible path to victory is by winning over some disillusioned Trump voters,” Zeleny added as he got Sand to condemn the use of anger in turning out people to vote.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Inside Politics
August 27, 2026
12:28:52 p.m. EasternDANA BASH: A Democrat hasn't won the Iowa governor's mansion in 20 years, but the Cook Political Report just moved the governor's race there from toss-up to lean Democrat. CNN's Jeff Zeleny traveled to the hawkeye state.
[Cuts to video]
ROB SAND (D-IA): Someone over here, kick us off, pick a note and go.
[Sand and supporters singing America the Beautiful]
JEFF ZELENY: Rob Sand is asking Iowans to sing.
[Continuing to sing]
ZELENY: In one town after another.
[Continuing to sing]
ZELENY: An act of patriotism to soften the partisan divide.
SAND (at rally): Shouldn't that be what politics is like all the time? You get Democrats, independents, Republicans in a room together and you say, ‘we agree.’
ZELENY: He's trying to do what no Democrat has done for two decades in Iowa, win a governor's race.
Do you have to distance yourself from your party to win in a state like Iowa?
SAND: Um, I don't know. I just tell people what I think. Sometimes I agree with my party, sometimes I disagree. They might not like Democrats in general, and many Iowa Democrats don't like Republicans in general. But at the end of the day, again, they're willing to hear you out.
ZELENY: Just how willing is the question?
But as Sand nears his goal of hosting 100 town halls across Iowa, one thing is clear, he has plenty to say about both parties, little of which is good.
SAND: I'm not really a big fan of either political party. I don't know why we have to be Democrats or Republicans. Has anyone ever given you a good answer to that? Says who?
ZELENY: Sand, the state auditor is the only Democrat to hold statewide office in Iowa. He's pushing for an end to one-party rule. He faces Republican businessman Zach Lahn in November.
SAND: A water quality crisis, a cancer crisis, an education crisis, an income crisis, a corruption crisis, and a crisis of high costs.
ZELENY: In a hyper-partisan, loud summer, Sand’s attempt to turn down the temperature is drawing notice from some Republicans seeking change.
JOHN FISH (Iowa Republican): Politicians all kind of say the same thing we got to come together, we've got to do this thing. But for some reason, he seems a little bit more believable than most.
ZELENY: And several Democrats said it was a welcome break not to hear a single mention of President Trump.
ELOISE DILLAVOU (Iowa Democrat): His approach is quite refreshing. It's what we need right now is to bring people together instead of trying to hate.
ZELENY: Sand says he doesn't dwell on the president because he's not running against him.
Are you hoping to rely on some of that anger out there among the American people, among Iowans, for the call for change?
SAND: You know, I don't want people to have to be angry at politics, but I'm also not going to invalidate anyone's feelings about why their - what their view is on the world.
ZELENY: Yet, he also knows the most plausible path to victory is by winning over some disillusioned Trump voters.
SAND: This system is broken and it's leading us to hate people that we used to love, and we need to change it. And that resonates not just with independents and Republicans, but it resonates with Democrats, too.
ZELENY: Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Independence, Iowa.
