Someone is testing messages about Randy Feenstra and Rob Sand

an exclusive report on an Iowa poll

U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra (left) and State Auditor Rob Sand; photos cropped from images published on their campaign Facebook pages

This exclusive reporting and analysis first appeared at Bleeding Heartland and is shared here as part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. For regular emails linking to all recent Bleeding Heartland articles and commentary, subscribe to the free Evening Heartland newsletter.

A poll in the field this week previews attack lines Republicans may use next year against State Auditor Rob Sand, the likely Democratic nominee for governor.

Some Iowans have received this survey over the phone, and others over text. The questions enclosed below are taken verbatim from a respondent’s screenshots. A different respondent who took the poll by phone confirmed the question wording.

A quick reminder: although you may feel angry when you hear biased or misleading claims about Democratic candidates, it’s better not to hang up or click away. Take screenshots or detailed notes, or record the phone call, and share the questionnaire with me. (I won’t publish your name.)

MESSAGE TESTING VS. PUSH-POLLING

It appears that U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra’s campaign, or some entity that would support him as the GOP nominee (such as the Republican Governors Association), commissioned this survey.

Some readers who flagged the survey for me have characterized it as a “push poll.” It’s easy to confuse the two kinds of calls, but they serve different purposes. Kathy Frankovic of CBS News explained the distinction well in this article from 2007.

A push poll is political telemarketing masquerading as a poll. No one is really collecting information. No one will analyze the data. A push poll is very short, even too short. (It has to be very short to reach tens of thousands of potential voters, one by one). It does not include any demographic questions. And, of course, a push poll will contain negative information — sometimes truthful, sometimes not — about an opponent.

Push polls mislead the public, and not just about an opponent. They mislead the public about polls: Callers claim they are conducting a poll when all they are doing is spreading negative information.

[…] Not all questions that seem negative are part of push polls. Candidate organizations sometimes conduct polls with questions that contain negative information about opposing candidates. These polls, which are not push polls, are conducted for the same reasons market and advertising researchers do their work: to see what kinds of themes and packages move the public.

[…] These real polls are full-length, covering more topics than just some negative questions about an opponent. They include demographic questions that allow researchers to categorize respondents.

This isn’t a short survey, and the pollster Dynata is collecting respondents’ demographic information. Both are clear indications that whoever commissioned this poll is trying to figure out which messages will be most effective to promote Feenstra and drive down support for Sand during next year’s general election campaign.

FEENSTRA’S “ONE OF US,” WHILE SAND “PRETENDS TO BE MODERATE”

Iowa Republicans are worried about Sand’s appeal to the center, a major theme of his campaign for governor. At an Iowa GOP fundraiser in July, several top Republicans claimed the auditor was only pretending to be a moderate.

Along those lines, the poll currently in the field contrasts Feenstra’s “spirit of community service” with Sand’s supposed “extremely liberal” views.

Randy Feenstra understands lowa because he’s one of us. Feenstra was born and raised in rural lowa, has been an active member of his community and leads with a servant’s heart. It’s that spirit of community service that drove Feenstra to run for office in the first place, to better the lives of his neighbors and protect lowa’s way of life.

Multi-millionaire Rob Sand, who has called himself “extremely liberal,” pretends to be moderate and just like everyday lowans with social media posts about breakfast pizza and hunting. But when it comes to real issues, he refuses to tell the truth. Sand hides where he stands because he knows his liberal agenda-higher taxes, more regulation, and costly green energy mandates-wouldn’t sit well with lowa families and small businesses.

After each pair of messages, the survey poses the same ballot test to respondents: “Now knowing what you do, if the November election for Governor were being held today and the candidates were Rob Sand, Democrat and Randy Feenstra, Republican, for whom would you vote?” The options provided: “Definitely Feenstra,” “Probably Feenstra,” “Lean Feenstra,” “Definitely Sand,” “Probably Sand,” “Lean Sand,” or “other” (with an option to fill in the blank).

Iowans on the Democratic or progressive left would laugh at describing Sand as “extremely liberal.” But no doubt it will be a major talking point for Republicans next year.

Sand’s social media game, far superior to anything Feenstra could manage, clearly irritates Republicans. Iowa GOP state chair Jeff Kaufmann warned in July, “Do not, do not be drug in by his hypocritical social media crap. This is what I would ask of all of you. Watch him like a hawk, and he’s still going to be good enough at the spin.”

U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks posted on X/Twitter earlier this month, “I must not be a fake sleazy politician like @RobSandIA because I stopped at Casey’s this morning and got bacon breakfast pizza – but instead of posting a photo, I ate it.” Sand responded by wishing Miller-Meeks a happy birthday, alongside a photo of himself with a pizza.

SAND “DOESN’T SHARE OUR VALUES”; FEENSTRA’S “A MAN OF FAITH”

Another pair of messages draws on familiar talking points for anyone who paid attention during the 2022 or 2024 campaigns.

Rob Sand doesn’t share our values because he believes whatever his national Democrat donors tell him to. Sand opposed legislation to ban biological boys from using girls’ bathrooms in schools and from stopping boys from playing in girls’ sports. Sand is so extreme he even supported spending tax dollars on sex changes.

Randy Feenstra is a man of faith who shares our values and is committed to supporting families and protecting lowa’s children. Feenstra has supported efforts to protect parents’ rights, giving them more say in their children’s education. He will always stand up for girls’ sports and keep biological boys from using girls’ restrooms and locker rooms. Rob Sand is for they/them while Randy Feenstra is for us.

[ballot test follows]

Although Feenstra didn’t endorse Donald Trump before the 2016 or the 2024 caucuses, he is portraying himself as a strong Trump ally now. This survey adapts a line from one of the Trump campaign’s 2024 television commercials, which claimed, “Kamala’s for they/them. President Trump is for you.”

Sand indicated in May that he agreed with Iowa’s law banning transgender girls from participating in sports. More recently, he has told town hall audiences that he would veto “culture war” bills. He has also criticized Republicans for “picking on people who are different.”

As for being a “man of faith,” Sand has woven religious language and imagery into his political speeches for years. Lately, he has been telling Democratic crowds and town hall audiences that one of his favorite Bible stories is about Jesus flipping over money-changers’ tables in the Temple. He often uses a version of this line: “In November of 2026, with your help, we’ve got a few tables in Des Moines that we could be flipping over.”

DINGS ON SAND’S “WEALTHY FAMILY,” “AIMLESSLY DRIVING AROUND”

At least $7 million of Sand’s campaign contributions this election cycle came from his wife or his in-laws. You can bank on that being a Republican talking point, as shown in the next pair of messages tested:

Randy Feenstra has always delivered for lowa families, be it in the lowa Senate, Congress or at the local level. He didn’t grow up rich and never planned to run for Governor but is doing so in order to continue this service to lowans.

Rob Sand doesn’t have a single meaningful accomplishment since he’s been in office. After Rob Sand’s wealthy family bought both of his elections, Sand turned to the very serious work of posting selfie videos, doing podcast interviews, and aimlessly driving around the state to share his opinions.

[ballot test follows]

I had to laugh at “aimlessly driving around the state to share his opinions.” Sand has held 100 town halls in his official capacity as state auditor every year, and has held around 60 town halls as a candidate for governor in 2025. Unlike Senator Chuck Grassley, Governor Kim Reynolds, and other Republicans who tout their 99-county tours, Sand’s events are announced in advance and open to the public.

Feenstra’s failure to show up is a common refrain among Republican critics. It’s one reason he barely reached 60 percent of the vote in his 2024 primary against Kevin Virgil, who was virtually unknown a few months before that election. Jared Strong reported for Iowa Capital Dispatch last year that Feenstra “can be difficult to find.”

“For 3 1/2 years, we have tried aggressively to get Randy Feenstra to come into our county and talk to us,” said Alan Bush, a Greenville resident who helps promote Republican candidates and policy goals in Hancock County. “He has yet to come to our county.”

Bush clarified that Feenstra might visit an area business, but there are no advance notices of the visits and they are closed to the public. […]

Harlan Grau, of Newell, shared a similar concern in a letter published last month by the Storm Lake Times Pilot: “The incumbent Feenstra always tells us where he was, but his schedule to meet the public is usually unavailable. His 36 County Tour should have more serious discussion and less happy talk.”

At Sand’s August 19 town hall in Jefferson, Chuck Offenburger was surprised to see Sean Sebourn, the former Greene County GOP chair. Sebourn got to know Sand as a Republican “tracker” hired to film his public events. He told Offenburger,

“I would endorse and put a sign for Rob in my yard if his opponent for governor is Rep. Randy Feenstra,” […] “I do not believe Randy is a true Conservative and my many interactions with Randy in the past are quite telling.

Sebourn continued: “While Randy was a representative for Greene County,” which moved from the fourth to the third district after the 2020 Census, “he never really ‘showed up’ for us. I don’t recall him investing time in Greene County unless it was a fundraiser. I believe Randy is a RINO (a ‘Republican In Name Only’) and I’m looking forward to Iowa’s fourth district electing a true Republican Conservative.

ONE SECTION FLIPPED THE SCRIPT

Candidates often want to test potential lines of attack against themselves, as well as talking points to use against opponents. One part of this poll includes messages that reflect poorly on Feenstra and are positive about Sand:

Whether it is tariffs that are driving up the costs of everyday goods, cruel deportations separating families, slashing funding for Medicaid or restricting women’s access to reproductive health care, Randy Feenstra walks lock step with Donald Trump.

Rob Sand will make state government work for all lowans, not just special interests, focusing on transparency, fiscal responsibility, and restoring trust. Sand is focused on bipartisan solutions, not partisan fights.

[ballot test follows]

That’s a decent summary of Sand’s pitch to voters. But “walks lock step with Trump” might not be the main argument against the GOP nominee.

Feenstra should test other sentiments if he really wants to know what Iowans think about him. A Republican supervisor in Woodbury County recently called him “the weakest representative that Congressional District 4 has ever seen,” adding that Feenstra is “running for governor, which hopefully that never happens.”

Here’s one idea: “Randy Feenstra was silent for years as farmers across his district fought a private company’s efforts to seize their land for a dangerous pipeline.” (Virgil campaigned heavily on private property rights and opposing eminent domain for the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline.)

Here’s a a direct quote from one of Virgil’s digital ads: Randy Feenstra “has become a pawn of the deep state. He’s voted for nearly every budget increase, and every violation of your constitutional rights, including against the right to bear arms and for giving the U.S. government the ability to spy on you without a warrant.”

SAND WILL STAND WITH “LIBERAL DONORS,” NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT

Republicans love to campaign on crime and immigration, and this poll tests that playbook against Sand.

Randy Feenstra is committed to keeping us safe and supporting law enforcement. Feenstra will fight to secure our border from drugs and gang members entering our country and as Governor will work closely with ICE to catch and deport dangerous criminals in lowa illegally and keep dangerous drugs like fentanyl off our streets.

Rob Sand can’t be trusted to keep lowa families safe. Sand will stand with his liberal donors rather than law enforcement and he’s even accepted endorsements and donations from people and groups that want to defund the police. Sand also opposed using lowa law enforcement to help secure the border and stop the flow of illegal drugs into our communities and even opposed the Back the Blue Act.

[ballot test follows]

I am not aware of Sand opposing Governor Reynolds’ decision to deploy Iowa National Guard and state troopers on the southern border. (I questioned whether that was an allowable use of federal American Rescue Plan funds, but the state auditor’s office did not take that position.)

I don’t recall Sand opposing Iowa’s 2021 law on qualified immunity, which Republicans call the “Back the Blue Act.” He isn’t against law enforcement; on the contrary, he touts his crime-fighting work as a prosecutor in the Iowa Attorney General’s office at every campaign stop.

Few if any elected officials in Iowa have ever called for “defunding the police.” The irony is, progressive activists who support that position generally dislike Sand.

TYING SAND TO “RADICAL LIBERALS”

Republicans and conservative groups try to portray just about any Democrat as a far-left activist. That trope appears in the last set of messages tested in the new poll.

Rob Sand pretends to be moderate, but he follows many of the same policies as radical liberals like AOC and Bernie Sanders on issues ranging from boys competing in girls’ sports to extreme environmental regulations that will increase energy costs to higher taxes for working families.

Randy Feenstra puts the people of lowa ahead of politics, will always fight to improve the safety and financial security of lowans and as Governor will work to help implement President Trump’s Make America Great Again agenda.

[ballot test follows]

I don’t know anyone in Democratic politics who considers Sand to be on the left of the party. Activists who do align with U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Senator Bernie Sanders certainly don’t view Sand as one of their own.

Higher energy costs and taxes could become talking points against GOP candidates in 2026. As a member of the U.S. House, Feenstra voted for the budget reconciliation bill that is expected to increase electricity costs for Iowa households. He and other House Republicans have repeatedly voted to kick the can down the road on Trump’s tariffs, which will raise prices on food and many consumer goods.

Campaigns and advocacy groups don’t typically release findings from message-testing surveys. But future television commercials from Feenstra or GOP-aligned groups will signal which lines against Sand seemed most promising.