Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek stated Wednesday that former Vice President Kamala Harris should not campaign for him. When asked by a reporter at an event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about potentially working with Harris, Turek answered, "No." Turek, a state representative and two-time Paralympic basketball gold medalist, secured the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in June.
Turek’s remarks follow similar statements from other Democratic candidates in states typically won by Republicans. Rob Sand, an Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate, also spoke against Harris campaigning for his bid on Wednesday, stating, "Let's move on. We need some new leadership." Sand further expressed the opinion that Harris should not run for president in 2028.
In Alaska, the campaign for former Rep. Mary Peltola (D) recently distance itself from a fundraising email Harris sent in support of Peltola. The Peltola campaign stated it did not request the endorsement and was unaware of the email before it was sent. The campaign noted that Peltola is not seeking endorsements from individuals outside of Alaska. These developments follow the 2024 election in which Harris lost the presidency and Democrats did not win control of either chamber of Congress.
The scale of this shift is reflected in the involvement of other high-profile party figures. While Turek has rejected help from Harris, he has accepted support from former President Barack Obama, who appeared in a campaign video with Turek last month. For voters, this means a candidate's platform may prioritize local issues over national party alignment, a change that residents would notice in the tone of campaign advertisements, mailers, and local appearances leading up to the November 2026 midterm elections. The rejection of a former Vice President's assistance by members of her own party is a noted departure from traditional campaign coordination.
This trend could have knock-on effects for national party fundraising and the 2028 presidential cycle. If more candidates in competitive or conservative-leaning districts follow this precedent, the Democratic National Committee may face challenges in maintaining a unified national message or mobilizing its donor base across all 50 states. It also underscores the current division between progressive and establishment members of the party. The next steps for these campaigns involve the November 2026 general election, with Turek and Sand testing whether distancing from national leadership aids their standing in Iowa.