Iowa governor-elect's past as Prada model draws attention

Iowa's newly elected governor, Rob Sand, who broke historic ground by becoming the first Democrat to lead the state that leans Republican in 20 years, is now in the spotlight for a completely different reason. The 44-year-old politician, whose career took a surprising turn from the world of high fashion to politics, once graced the runways of luxury brand Prada and Italian Vogue back in the early 2000s.

Photos from Sand's modeling days have emerged online following his triumph in the November 3 gubernatorial election, igniting widespread curiosity about his past as a model. Instead of distancing himself from the attention, Sand playfully engaged with the surge of interest online. "I'm disappointed to learn images of me modeling for Prada are circulating," he wrote, sharing a photo from his modeling career that he deemed superior.

"Because this shot from Italian Vogue is much better," the post added a humorous element to the growing online buzz about his past. The photos of the governor-elect continued to circulate on European runways, as highlighted by American fashion magazine Vogue. Born in 1982, Sand worked as a model to help finance his college education while studying politics.