IA-GOV: Democrat Julie Stauch files for Democratic gubernatorial primary

Democrat Julie Stauch filed paperwork Thursday to run as a candidate for Iowa governor, officially joining the primary race where she faces Iowa Auditor Rob Sand.

Stauch is a former political operative who has worked on caucus campaigns for Democratic presidential candidates including Pete Buttigieg in 2020 and Bill Clinton in 1996. She submitted signatures from 4,575 Iowans to the Secretary of State’s office to appear on the June 2 Democratic gubernatorial primary ballot. Candidates are required to submit signatures from at least 3,500 Iowans, including 100 signatures from at least 19 different counties, to qualify.

Earlier in the week, Sand, who is also running to become the Democratic nominee for Iowa governor, also filed his paperwork. Sand submitted 24,756 signatures, beating the previous records for petition signatures submitted, according to his campaign. Sand also holds a commanding fundraising lead, raising $9.5 million in 2025. The candidate leading fundraising in the Republican primary field in 2025 was U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra at $4.3 million.

Stauch reported raising $32,078 in 2025. Though Stauch said it was a “lovely understatement” to say there was a significant financial gap between her and Sand’s campaigns, she referenced the2011 movie “Moneyball” to explain her strategy.


https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/democrat-julie-stauch-files-for-democratic-gubernatorial-primary/