Two Republicans aim to become candidate to flip state auditor seat to GOP control

As of the 2022 election cycle, only one statewide elected office is currently held by a Democrat in Iowa – the state auditor’s office. But two Republicans are aiming to flip this seat in 2026, competing in the June 2 primary to become the GOP nominee.

Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, has held the seat since the 2018 election when he defeated incumbent Mary Mosiman, a Republican who now serves as director of the Iowa Department of Revenue. But Sand is not seeking a third term as auditor, instead running as a Democratic candidate for Iowa governor in 2026.

There are two Republicans hoping to fill the open seat left by Sand — Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer and Iowa County supervisor Abigail Maas.

Cournoyer has served as lieutenant governor for Gov. Kim Reynolds since 2024, being appointed to the position after the resignation of former Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg. Previously, she had served as a state senator representing Iowa Senate District 35. While Cournoyer is serving out the remainder of Reynolds’ term, she will not hold the position after the 2026 election cycle as Reynolds is not seeking reelection.

The LeClaire Republican announced in 2025 she will instead seek election as state auditor. In her campaign announcement, she criticized Sand’s tenure as auditor, saying he used the office for political purposes by pursuing audits of programs like the state’s Education Savings Account program, which provides public funding for private school tuition and associated costs.

“As Iowa continues to cut taxes and streamline government, the Auditor’s Office must lead by example and serve as a true watchdog for the taxpayer — not a political weapon,” Cournoyer said in a statement. “It’s time for an Auditor who prioritizes transparency, efficiency, and results over headlines and partisanship.”

As she filed paperwork for the June 2 ballot in early May, Cournoyer said her experience as lieutenant governor and as a state lawmaker leading legislation related to government realignment show her commitment to both conservative values and government accountability.

“I am now running for State Auditor to secure the next critical victory for Iowa conservatives. As a lifelong Iowan, a technology leader, and a proven taxpayer watchdog, my career has been dedicated to one mission: stopping government waste and driving down the taxpayer burden,” Cournoyer said in a statement. “I will bring that same iron-clad fiscal discipline to the Auditor’s office and support our Republican legislature in reducing the property tax burden.”

Cournoyer is facing Abigail Maas in the primary election – an Iowa County Supervisor, farmer and business owner who said in her 2025 campaign announcement she is running to “bring real-world experience and common sense to the job.”

In addition to serving two terms on the Iowa County Board of Supervisors, Maas also serves on the Iowa Municipalities Workers Compensation Association Board. Her background working on local government budgets make her the strongest candidate to be able to identify waste, fraud and abuse as state auditor, Maas argued.

If elected, Maas said she would work to implement a statewide financial software system and would work with local governments to find areas for costs savings and transparency in an effort to bring down Iowans’ property tax burden.

“Property taxes in Iowa outpace income taxes by over a billion dollars. We can’t just treat the symptoms—we need to dig into the costs driving local spending,” she said.

Ahead of the primary, Cournoyer has gathered support from many high-profile Republicans, receiving endorsements from Reynolds, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and State Treasurer Roby Smith and other GOP elected officials.

Maas has also gained several endorsements, backed by several state lawmakers including Reps. Samantha Fett and Brooke Boden, Sens. Sandy Salmon, Kevin Alons and Jesse Green — as well as Steve Deace, a conservative talk show host.

In campaign finance reports filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board for Jan. 1 through May 14, Cournoyer led in fundraising with $55,290, while Maas raised $38,915. Cournoyer raised an additional $4,700 in the period from May 15-26, according to a report filed Friday; Maas had not filed this IECDB report as of 2 p.m. Friday.

The victor of the June 2 GOP auditor primary will face Democrat Taylor Wettach — a lawyer from Muscatine who had previously campaigned to become the Democratic nominee for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District — in the general election.