Iowa Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand said Monday that he would consider appointing an independent rather than a Republican if a vacancy occurred in Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Senate seat while Sand was governor.

Sand was asked during Labor Day campaign stops how he would handle a vacancy in the seat, which Grassley has held since 1981. Sand initially said he would want to consult with different people and remain “pretty open-minded” about the selection before specifically saying he would be interested in an independent.

“I’d be interested in an independent,” Sand said. He argued that Iowa has many voters who are not affiliated with either major party and criticized what he described as a “broken two-party system.”

The possibility could become an issue in the governor’s race, particularly because Grassley’s Senate term runs through January 2029. Grassley, 92, has not announced plans to leave the Senate, but a vacancy before the end of his term could give the next governor an opportunity to appoint his replacement under Iowa law.

That means the November gubernatorial election could have implications beyond control of the Iowa governor’s office if a vacancy were to occur. Sand’s Republican opponent, Zach Lahn, could use the issue to draw a contrast over who should control a potential appointment to the Senate.

Sand has emphasized an independent political identity during his campaign, while Lahn has also presented himself as an outsider challenging Iowa’s political establishment. The two candidates are competing for an open governor’s seat in November.

The timing also comes as Iowa prepares for a separate Senate election this year. Sen. Joni Ernst is retiring, and Republican Ashley Hinson, Democrat Josh Turek, and Libertarian Thomas Laehn are competing for that open Senate seat. Grassley’s seat is not scheduled for a regular election until 2028.

Sand’s comments do not mean Grassley is leaving the Senate or that a vacancy is imminent. They instead outline what Sand says he would consider doing if the seat became vacant while he was governor.

For Lahn, the statement creates another potential point of contrast in the gubernatorial campaign, allowing the Republican candidate to focus attention on the consequences of the governor’s power to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat.