Moderate Party

Iowa is struggling — with rising cancer rates, a shrinking economy, overburdened healthcare systems, and families being pushed out of communities they love.

This week, Rob Sand returns to Moderate Party to talk about why he’s running for governor in a moment when many people would run the other way. Rob is the only Democrat who can still win statewide in Iowa, and he’s trying to build a coalition grounded not in outrage, but in actual problem-solving.

We talk about listening, dissent, navigating disagreement without feeding division, and what it means to govern a state that’s hurting. It’s a conversation about leadership, humility, and why the work is still worth doing.

About Rob

Rob Sand was born and raised in Decorah, where his family has lived for generations, and where he grew up fishing, hunting, and discovering his passion for public service while helping build a community skatepark. He began his career as an Assistant Iowa Attorney General and the state’s chief public corruption prosecutor, taking on scammers, taxpayer abusers, violent criminals, and the largest lottery-rigging scheme in American history—later chronicled in his true-crime book The Winning Ticket. Iowans have since elected him twice as State Auditor, first in 2018, when he became the first Democrat to win the office since the 1960s, and again in 2022 as the only Democrat reelected statewide. In office, Rob has uncovered more than $29 million in waste, fraud, and abuse, held both parties accountable, and launched the Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program—an award-winning efficiency initiative now adopted in all 99 counties and replicated in other states. Known for working across political lines, Rob has included Independents and Republicans in senior leadership roles and supported staff regardless of their political donations, grounding his work not in left vs. right but right vs. wrong. Now running for governor, Rob is focused on lowering costs, protecting taxpayer dollars, restoring trust in government, and improving the lives of Iowa families. And when he’s not fighting corruption or working for Iowans, you can find him bowhunting, fishing, biking, taste-testing Casey’s pizza, or spending time with his wife Christine, their two sons, and their dog, Pow.

• Rob Sand for Iowa
• Reynolds signs law to limit Iowa state auditor's powers | Iowa Public Radio

In this episode, Hillari sits down with Lanae Erickson of Third Way to make sense of a political moment that feels chaotic, confusing, and—somehow—full of opportunity. Together, they unpack the blowout victories of moderates like Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, the progressive shockwave in New York City, and the shutdown fight that left Democrats divided and frustrated.

It’s a conversation about what voters are actually demanding—calm over chaos, strength without theatrics, and leaders who talk about the cost of living in plain English. Lanae brings new data and candid insight into how moderates can win (and govern), why the center-left keeps underestimating its own appeal, and what the Democratic Party needs to rethink before 2026 and 2028.

From gender dynamics to electability, from the moderate “training montage” to the politics of belief, this episode cuts through the noise and delivers the kind of clarity you rarely hear in the post-2025 fog.

If you care about where Democrats go next—and what it will take to actually build a governing majority—this is the conversation you’ll want to hear.

Links:

• Third Way Moderate Power Project

California just passed Proposition 50 — handing lawmakers temporary control of redistricting and pulling the state that once defined fair map-making into the same partisan brawl it used to condemn.

Across the country, states are quietly rewriting political boundaries mid-decade — not because populations changed, but because power did. Each redraw justifies the next, and the rulebook that was supposed to protect fairness keeps getting thinner.

Host Hillari Lombard unpacks how America’s redistricting arms race began, why the Supreme Court stepped back from policing it, and what happens when reformers decide they can’t afford to play by their own rules. She also admits something personal: she voted for Prop 50 — and she’s still not sure how she feels about it.

This episode asks a hard question: When every side keeps moving the lines to survive, how much of democracy do we lose along the way?

What to read next:

• Explainer: Understanding the mid-decade redistricting push in Texas | Harvard Kennedy School
• Proposition 50 passed in California. Here's what you missed

Why does America — the birthplace of the internet — have some of the slowest, most expensive broadband in the developed world? Hillari Lombard sits down with Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, to unpack the root causes behind our bad connections.

From monopoly power and fake “fees” to the political roadblocks that stop cities from building their own networks, Hillari and Chris dig into how a handful of corporations have turned an essential utility into a cash cow — and what communities can do to fight back.

This episode explores why internet access isn’t just about streaming speeds — it’s about opportunity, education, and democracy itself.

If you’ve ever stared at a $100 Comcast bill and wondered, “How is this legal?” — this one’s for you.

The federal government is closed for business — again. But this time, it isn’t about border walls or spending caps. It’s about health care. As the 2025 shutdown drags into its third week, Democrats are demanding an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies for 20-plus million Americans, while Republicans push a “clean” funding bill that leaves those benefits to expire. In the middle: a trillion dollars in Medicaid cuts, a president keeping his distance, and millions of families caught in the crossfire.

Host Hillari Lombard breaks down what’s really driving the standoff — from the politics of Obamacare’s popularity in red states to why both parties think they’re winning — and what November 1 means for America’s health-care future.

When conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on a college campus in Utah, the nation erupted in shock, grief, and rage. For some, Kirk was a hero; for others, he was the worst of the worst. But behind the headlines, what does his death mean for free speech, political violence, and the health of our democracy?

In this episode, Hillari Lombard reflects on the personal and political aftermath of Kirk’s murder. From the disturbing spread of the shooting video on social media, to the “grief policing” playing out online, to the uncomfortable truth about America’s epidemic of gun violence—this conversation doesn’t look away.

Most of all, it asks the urgent question: what happens to a country when words are answered with bullets?

How do we think about history? How do we tell the story of our country? In this episode, Hillari Lombard sits down with Lindsay Graham (no, not that one)—the voice behind American History Tellers, American Scandal, and more—to talk about the accidental path that led him to podcasting, the art of storytelling in history, and how the past helps us make sense of our fractured present.

From dusty archives to dramatic vignettes, Lindsay shares how his shows turn forgotten corners of history into gripping narratives—and why stories about “normal people” are just as essential as those about presidents and wars.

What’s happening in Los Angeles right now isn’t just about immigration—it’s about power. In this episode, Hillari Lombard unpacks how a series of ICE raids spiraled into mass protests, a violent crackdown, and the unprecedented deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines—over the objection of California’s governor.

This isn’t a policy debate. It’s a stress test for our democracy.

This episode breaks down what triggered the protests, how Trump’s immigration tactics have escalated, and what the legal limits actually are when it comes to using military force on U.S. soil.

Links to Donate:

https://www.chirla.org

https://www.immdef.org/

This episode was informed by these sources and references:

• National Guard can stay in LA while Trump appeals ruling, court finds - CalMatters
• What U.S. law says about Trump’s deployment of active duty troops to Los Angeles | PBS News
• ICE’s tactics draw criticism as it triples daily arrest targets - Reuters

In this episode, Hillari Lombard sits down with Adam Brandon of the Independent Center to explore how independent voters reshaped the 2024 election — and what it means for the future of American politics.

They dive into why traditional party strategies are losing ground, how grassroots movements and digital media are fueling real change, and what a future beyond partisan gridlock could look like.

Adam Brandon is a longtime grassroots leader and a Senior Advisor at the Independent Center, an organization committed to empowering independent voters with common-sense solutions.

If you believe there's a better way forward, this conversation is for you.

Episode Links:

• America's Independent Center for Independent Voters

Donald Trump’s America First policy has reignited a debate that has shaped U.S. history for centuries: Should America lead on the world stage, or should it pull back and focus on problems at home? In this episode, Hillari Lombard sits down with Charles Kupchan—senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, professor at Georgetown, and author of Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World—to unpack the past, present, and future of American isolationism.

This episode is a good-faith attempt to understand what America First really means—not just as a campaign slogan, but as a governing philosophy. Whether you support it, fear it, or are just trying to make sense of it, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Resources that informed this episode:

• Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World | Council on Foreign Relations
• Supporting Ukraine Is in Trump’s Interest by Michael Froman & Charles A. Kupchan - Project Syndicate
• Trump Is Right That Pax Americana Is Over - The Atlantic
• The Past and Future of American Isolationism | Council on Foreign Relations

---

Charles A. Kupchan is Professor of International Affairs in the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University, and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2014 to 2017, Kupchan served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council in the Obama White House. He was also Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council during the first Clinton administration. His most recent books are Anchoring the World: International Order in the Twenty-First Century (2021), Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World (2020), No One’s World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn (2012), and How Enemies Become Friends: The Sources of Stable Peace (2010). His forthcoming book is Bringing Order to Anarchy: Governing the World To Come.