Show Notes
Jonathan Martin sits down with Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand at the Iowa State Fair to talk politics over a pork tenderloin and a deep-fried Twinkie.
Sand, a Democrat running in a state that has shifted sharply to the right, makes the case that Iowa voters are fed up with one-party control, corruption and politics as usual. He discusses why Democrats have lost ground in rural America, whether the party has become too focused on insiders and national politics, and how he would govern with a Republican legislature.
Sand also weighs in on the future of the Democratic Party, his unlikely friendships with Republican governors — and his brief career as a model.
More from On the Road with Jonathan Martin
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) joins POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at a Charlotte diner for a candid conversation about his new book, his decision to leave the Senate and the future of the Republican Party.
Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu joins POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at Mosca’s Restaurant for a wide-ranging conversation about President Trump, the future of the Democratic Party and whether he might run for president in 2028. Landrieu discusses why he believes Joe Biden should not have sought reelection, how Democrats lost working-class voters, the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America and what it would take to rebuild trust in American institutions.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox joins POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at Salt Lake City’s Red Iguana for a wide-ranging conversation about his new book, “Off Ramp: How to Be a Peacemaker in an Age of Contempt,” and the forces driving America’s political divide.
Sen. Susan Collins joins POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at Perry’s Lobster Shack in coastal Maine for a wide-ranging conversation about her reelection fight in the senate, President Trump’s second administration and the future of the Republican Party.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joins POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin in Traverse City, Michigan, to discuss the future of the Democratic Party and why he believes Democrats can't simply campaign on a return to the pre-Trump status quo.