KDSN RADIO News
Iowa’s Lt. Governor announces her campaign for State Auditor
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(DES MOINES, IOWA) — Iowa Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer today (Tuesday) announced her candidacy to seek the Republican 2026 nomination for State Auditor of Iowa, pledging to bring technology-driven solutions, a proven record of fiscal discipline, and a nonpartisan commitment to transparency and efficiency in government to the office.
In late April, Cournoyer filed the paperwork to start raising money for a race for state auditor. In December, Governor Kim Reynolds selected Cournoyer to be the 48th lieutenant governor, after Adam Gregg resigned to take a private sector job. Earlier this month, Reynolds announced she would not seek reelection.
Cournoyer, who is 54, served six years in the Iowa Senate and got her start in politics by winning a seat on the Pleasant Valley School Board. She is also a former reserve sheriff’s deputy and a mother of four.
Current State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, has said he’ll be “on the ballot” in 2026 and “it’s a possibility” he’ll be running for governor.
If elected, Cournoyer plans to improve the Auditor’s role in helping local governments identify efficiencies, integrating AI into the auditing process, enhancing promotion of Iowa’s transparency portal, and making the Auditor’s Office a home for recommendations emerging from the Governor’s DOGE Task Force on modernizing government operations.
