DES MOINES, Iowa - Rob Sand held his initial public rally as the confirmed Democratic nominee for Iowa governor on Sunday, launching the push toward November alongside Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

The contest pitting Sand against Republican Zach Lahn promises to rank among the nation's tightest races as voters confront a state budget shortfall, weak farm economy and cancer concerns. Democrats count on Sand to break through after recent electoral setbacks, banking on his unity theme to connect with Iowans.

Several hundred supporters in Des Moines cheered, brandished signs and took pictures when Sand appeared onstage with a state flag displayed behind him.

"You might think we have a big hill to climb. I've seen bigger," Sand said. "We're building a coalition of - not red versus blue - but of the well-fed versus the fed-up."

Sand, who faced no primary opposition, discovered his general-election foe once Tuesday's primary concluded a crowded five-candidate Republican field.

The event marked the first rally ever attended by Tracy Schloss. A lifelong Democrat, Schloss said he dislikes the state's path after nearly ten years of complete Republican dominance, claiming leaders have "lost sight of the common people."

"It's time, you gotta step up or the country will still keep going the way it's going," said the 62-year-old retiree from Ankeny, a suburb of Des Moines.

Schloss called Sand a "bright spot" capable of energizing voters and expressed more optimism than in recent cycles that Democrats will succeed.

Iowa features open contests for both governor and U.S. senator for the first time since 1968, along with three competitive congressional races. National focus on the state has intensified recently, bringing President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to Iowa.

Democrats still trail by 200,000 in statewide voter registration and lag in every House district. Sand and Senate candidate Josh Turek argue they can attract independents and Republicans weary of party politics and a Republican trifecta in Washington and Des Moines blamed for current problems.

Turek will meet U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who has already cast Turek as a liberal tool of party leader Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Lahn has likewise dismissed Sand's nonpartisan approach.

"Rob Sand is not a moderate," Lahn said in his victory speech Tuesday. "He's a liberal career politician pretending to be someone he's not."

As in prior campaign stops, Sand invited attendees to sing the opening verse of "America the Beautiful." He also described his background of hunting, fishing and attending church.

Even if Sand wins the governorship in November, he will probably face Republican majorities in both legislative chambers, which recently approved measures limiting executive authority that outgoing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds enacted.

Sand said balance is preferable to a system focused on consolidating power and targeting opponents.

"We have found ourselves in this position because we have too many people who want us to only think about red or blue," Sand said Sunday. "Red and blue are colors."

Neither Sand nor Lahn feature their party's standard blue or red in campaign materials, choosing green instead. Both claim independence from party structures and say Iowans seek change, even though Lahn's Republican Party has controlled state government for nearly a decade.

Little known before entering the race, Lahn gained attention as a business owner opposing farm consolidation and corporate tax breaks, a regenerative farmer aligned with Robert F. Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" effort and a former operative who mobilized Iowa conservatives.

Sand's campaign has contributed roughly $750,000 to the Iowa Democratic Party this cycle, funding Republicans label inconsistent with his outsider claims. The campaign maintains the amount supports a coordinated party effort aiding his bid and other candidates.

"Rob Sand loves to talk about rising above the 'two-party system' - right up until it's time to campaign, cash checks, and share the stage with Democrat Party insiders," Iowa GOP spokeswoman Jade Cichy said in a statement Sunday.

Beshear, chair of the Democratic Governors Association and a possible 2028 presidential contender, told an enthusiastic crowd Sunday that he is "all in" for Sand.

While Democrats assess 2024 results and party direction, Beshear has presented his record leading a red state as a model for future success.

"I am living, breathing proof that Democrats can win anywhere, and we should be fighting everywhere," Beshear told the crowd Sunday.

Beshear also joined a "Beers with Beshear" fundraiser for congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, who seeks to defeat Republican Rep. Zach Nunn in the competitive Des Moines-area district. Beshear told The Associated Press he would meet with Turek as well.

The Democratic Governors Association, which Beshear leads, has provided the Iowa Democratic Party about $140,000 this cycle, per filing reports.