The 44-year-old Democrat, who won the gubernatorial election on November 3, previously walked the runways of Paris and Milan for major fashion houses, including Prada, before embarking on a career in politics.
According to Harper's Bazaar, Sand's modelling work in the early 2000s helped him pay for his college degrees. He studied political science at Brown University before earning a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Sand reportedly signed with Elite Model Management, although he no longer has a profile on the agency's website.
His modelling career included appearances for designers such as Giuliano Fujiwara, Number (N)ine and Prada. He also walked in Prada's menswear Spring 2003 ready-to-wear show in Milan on August 1, 2002.
In a 2007 interview with Newsweek, Sand revealed that his modelling commitments had once prevented him from participating in the Iowa caucuses.
The politician said he missed the opportunity to caucus for then-presidential candidate Howard Dean in January 2004 because he was working in Milan.
"It had to be one or the other," Sand told the publication. "And I chose to go to Europe."
Before winning the governor's race against Republican Zach Lahn, Sand served as Iowa's assistant attorney general and later became the state's chief public corruption prosecutor.
Throughout his campaign, the Democrat emphasised the importance of bridging America's political divisions and addressing Iowa's growing cancer crisis. The state has the second-highest cancer rate in the country.
In an October interview with PEOPLE, Sand reflected on the emotional conversations he had with residents during his campaign, saying many shared deeply personal experiences of loss.
His 100 Town Hall Tour took him to every county in Iowa, where he encouraged attendees to sing the first verse of "America the Beautiful" together.
Sand also highlighted how political disagreements had damaged personal relationships across the country.
At one town hall, he asked attendees whether they had lost relationships with people they cared about because of political differences over the past 15 years.
He said the sight of nearly every hand rising was heartbreaking.
The former model's election victory marks a significant political shift in Iowa, where Republicans have dominated the governor's office for nearly two decades.
