(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer has filed the paperwork to start raising money for a race for state auditor. In December, Governor Kim Reynolds selected Cournoyer to be lieutenant governor after Adam Gregg left resigned to take a private sector job. Earlier this month, Reynolds announced she would not seek reelection.

Cournoyer now is laying the groundwork for her own 2026 campaign for state auditor. Cournoyer, who is 54, served six years in the Iowa Senate and got her start in politics by winning a seat on the Pleasant Valley School Board.

Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer (official photo)

Cournoyer has organized a “Cournoyer for Iowa” committee and filed paperwork Friday with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, so she can begin fundraising. Current State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, has said he’ll be on the ballot in 2026 and it’s a possibility he’ll be running for governor.