Iowa gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn has issued a statement in response to the tragic death of Walter Lauridsen II, the brother-in-law of Lahn's opponent, Rob Sand. Lauridsen was killed in a crash in Iowa on Thursday night. "There is nothing more important than family and Rob is a family man.
We join all Iowans in praying for Rob, Christine, and their whole family. Our hearts are with them.” Lahn is the Republican candidate for governor. Sand is the Democratic candidate and currently serves as Iowa State Auditor.
Newsweek reached out to Sand's campaign by email for comment on Friday. Lauridsen was the brother of Sand's wife, Christine Lauridsen. He was a Des Moines businessman and philanthropist who invested in small business and real estate.
He also had an interest in woodworking and restoring classic cars. According to his website, he graduated from Cornell University with a degree in applied economics and management. He was active in the community and was a member of the National Advisory Council for the Character Counts project and also supported the nonprofit Harvest Academy.
Lauridsen was killed on Thursday night when he was struck by a car on Highway 34, according to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol. Lauridsen's Mercedes was parked on the side of the road. He had gotten out of the vehicle and was crossing the street when he was struck by a Honda Pilot.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Iowa State Media, Christine Lauridsen is the CEO of the Lauridsen Group, which is described on its website as "a collection of six independent companies each dedicated to discovering and producing products to enhance health and nutrition." Christine Lauridsen also has a degree from Cornell University, and she later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. She and Sand married in 2012 and share two sons.
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