Muscatine Democrat Taylor Wettach is jumping into the race for Iowa state auditor. Wettach is no longer running for Congress in Iowa’s 1st District, now saying he's better prepared to serve Iowans as state auditor.
“The state auditor’s job is to serve the taxpayer by following the money, exposing the waste, fraud and abuse that might be out there, and to be an independent watchdog for the people, regardless of who’s in power — not a lapdog for corrupt politicians,” Wettach said.
A seventh-generation Iowan, Wettach left his former law firm, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, after it cut a deal to provide free legal work to the Trump administration last year. He initially launched a bid for Congress, but is now pointing to perceived threats against the office of the state auditor as his justification for running for the seat.
“I think we’re going to do a lot of good in this role in making sure that we not only stand up for the Iowa taxpayer, but making sure we prevent corruption of our government right now, which has been a real focus of mine in my race for Iowa 1, and will be a big focus of mine in this role as well,” Wettach said.
In 2023, Republicans limited the state auditor’s ability to demand information from state agencies and officials while conducting investigations. Wettach said he would stand up to efforts aimed at weakening the role of the office.
“Politicians like Kim Reynolds and Chris Cournoyer are trying to rig the system for themselves by weakening the oversight capabilities of the state auditor, and now they’re trying to install Chris Cournoyer in there to make sure the state auditor isn’t able to do its job,” he said.
Wettach joins Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer in running for the seat. Cournoyer, a Republican, launched her campaign last May. Republican Iowa County Supervisor Abigail Maas announced her bid for the seat in July.
Wettach thinks current Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand has succeeded in upholding the office’s core functions and expanding support for local efforts in stopping waste, fraud and abuse. Wettach said that includes ensuring government spending is more transparent.
“I think he's done a great job of making sure that the office is understood as something that is not a question of Democrat or Republican, of left or right, but of right or wrong,” Wettach said.
His announcement carried with it a handful of endorsements from prominent figures in Iowa and national politics, including former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart and former Iowa Gov. and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
“Having served as a mayor, governor and secretary of agriculture, I know how essential independent oversight is to good government,” Vilsack said in a statement. “Iowans work hard for every dollar they send to the government, and they deserve to know those dollars are being spent honestly, responsibly and in the public interest. The state auditor plays a critical role in safeguarding that trust, and Taylor Wettach has the integrity, experience and commitment to stewardship that the office demands.”
Wettach plans to tour all 99 counties as part of his campaign, talking to taxpayers about their concerns related to how state dollars are spent.
“I think we’ll be able to build the sort of campaign that pulls together not just Democrats, but Republicans and Independents who believe in and understand the importance of having a state auditor who will do things the right way, follow the money and speak truth to power," Wettach said.
