Fifth-generation Iowa farmer and Crawford County supervisor. Muhlbauer is Rob Sand’s running mate and has focused on rural communities, agriculture, and local-government authority.
Serves on the Crawford County Board of Supervisors.
Fifth-generation family farmer.
Selected and nominated in 2026 as the Democratic lieutenant-governor candidate on the Sand ticket.
Documented achievements and notable work
{'title': 'County public service', 'detail': 'Serves on the Crawford County Board of Supervisors, a county governing body with budget, claims, personnel and local-policy responsibilities.', 'sourceId': 'muhlbauer-county'}
{'title': 'Rural Iowa background', 'detail': 'A fifth-generation farmer from western Iowa whose public profile centers on agriculture and county government.', 'sourceId': 'muhlbauer-ipr'}
{'title': 'Running mate', 'detail': 'Selected by Rob Sand as the Democratic lieutenant-governor nominee for the 2026 general election.', 'sourceId': 'muhlbauer-announcement'}
{'title': 'County board leadership', 'detail': 'Official Crawford County meeting records show Muhlbauer serving as Board of Supervisors chair during 2025 meetings.', 'sourceId': 'muhlbauer-county'}
Campaign ads, attacks and response media reviewed
Water-quality / Muhlbauer feedlot attack
Sponsor: Republican Party of Iowa · Date: June 9, 2026
The Iowa GOP attacks Sand’s running-mate choice by pointing to repeated investigations, notices and water-quality concerns involving a Muhlbauer family cattle operation.
IA Fact Check assessment: Core facility-history claim supported; personal-causation rhetoric needs care
Iowa DNR records identify Dave Muhlbauer as an owner of the active facility and show a compliance history including notices of violation and letters of noncompliance. That supports scrutiny of the operation’s record. It does not mean every complaint was substantiated, nor does the facility history alone prove Dave personally caused every event or justify every rhetorical characterization in the attack.
Fairness note
No sufficiently documented major attack has been added yet. The research tool intentionally leaves this area sparse until a claim can be tied to a specific source and underlying record.
