Peterson

Rob Sand is the kind of neighbor everyone wants. He’s the one who plays ball with the kids, has an endless supply of dad jokes, and hands out full-sized candy bars at Halloween. When you’re sick, he mows your lawn. When it snows, your driveway is already cleared because he was outside doing his anyway. Need a tool for a weekend project? Rob has it, and he’ll probably stay to help.

He’s also the one organizing neighborhood barbecues, manning the grill while moving easily between conversations about philosophy, law, sports, and hunting. In every sense, Rob Sand is the kind of person people trust, respect, and enjoy being around.

That same character is exactly why he would make a strong governor.

I first met Rob nearly a year ago. Since then, we’ve had several conversations, and not once has he asked me how I vote or what party I belong to. He has never asked because he genuinely does not seem to care, nor should he.

Rob understands something as old as the republic itself: unchecked division corrodes the foundation of self-government. If our system is to endure, we must rise above reflexive tribalism and remember our shared identity as Iowans and Americans. Representative government does not merely tolerate differing views; it depends on them. The America worth preserving is one where we recognize each other’s humanity first.

Rob does that.

We have long been warned about the dangers of hyper-partisanship. In his Farewell Address, George Washington cautioned that “the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension… is itself a frightful despotism,” one that weakens public administration and breeds distrust.

Decades later, in his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln urged Americans toward reconciliation “with malice toward none, with charity for all.” It was not simply a political statement, but a moral one: that humility and shared responsibility are necessary for a free people to govern themselves.

Today, those warnings feel less like history and more like diagnosis.

Rob Sand is neither a Founding Father nor the preserver of the Union, but what he represents is something our politics desperately needs: leadership grounded in principle over party, service over self-interest, and a genuine belief that government exists to serve people rather than political factions.

It has never been easier to sort ourselves into opposing camps and assume the worst about those who disagree with us. That is precisely why Rob’s steady and grounded character matters.

Republics are not sustained by brilliance alone. They are sustained by trust — not blind loyalty to individuals, but commitment to shared ideals and mutual respect.

That is ultimately the point. The same qualities that make Rob Sand a good leader are the qualities that make him a good neighbor. He shows up. He lends a hand. He brings people together. He treats others with dignity without first demanding ideological agreement.

In doing so, he builds trust.

What Iowa needs now is not more outrage, noise, or division, but a leader willing to operate outside reflexive partisanship — someone more interested in understanding others than condemning them. Iowa needs a leader who recognizes that compromise and moderation are not weaknesses, but essential features of representative government.

In short, Iowa could use a good neighbor.

Rob Sand is that neighbor.

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Matthew Peterson is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served as the commandant of the Iowa Veterans Home from 2021 to 2022. He currently resides in Texas.