Iowa Dems Sand and Turek say no to campaigning with Kamala Harris

Cybersecarmor.com – Iowa's two leading Democratic candidates said they do not want former Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign with them as they run in competitive midterm races this fall.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand and U.S. Senate nominee Josh Turek each said this week they would not want Harris, the Democratic Party's 2024 presidential nominee, to campaign on their behalf in Iowa as they seek statewide victories in a Republican-leaning state.

Asked on Aug. 26 whether he would want Harris to campaign for him, Turek gave a one-word answer to reporters: "No." He did not elaborate.

"No thanks," Sand told Politico when asked whether he would want Harris to campaign for him. "Let's move on. We need some new leadership."

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Sand, Iowa's state auditor, went a step further, saying he also does not want Harris to run for president in 2028. He acknowledged that some national Democratic figures, including Harris and former President Joe Biden , would "probably" not help his campaign efforts in Iowa.

At the same time, he pointed to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear , a fellow red-state Democrat who campaigned with him earlier this year in Des Moines.

The comments come as Iowa Democrats debate how to handle the national party's decision to omit Iowa once again from its early voting calendar. It remains unclear whether national Democratic figures will campaign in Iowa ahead of the 2028 presidential election the way they once did when the state's caucuses were first in the nation.

In the meantime, both Sand and Turek are trying to chart a more moderate course and create some separation with their party, which has been on an electoral losing streak in Iowa.

Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by more than 180,000 people in the state, meaning both Democrats will need to win over independent voters and some Republicans to secure a statewide victory in November.

Sand has spoken at length about embracing his "independent mind" during his statewide town hall tour. While remaining a Democrat, he has advocated eliminating partisan primaries to give independent voters a greater voice and has criticized the nation's two-party system.

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Republicans have argued that Sand is a "wolf in sheep's clothing" who is pretending to be a moderate. They have noted that he supported Biden in 2020 and praised Biden's selection of Harris as his running mate that year.

"Sand can change his rhetoric, but he can't erase his record," Iowa Republican Party spokesperson Jade Cichy said in a statement. "A liberal with better branding is still a liberal."

Turek has highlighted bipartisan credentials, running television ads saying that he voted 700 times with Republicans and would work with Republican President Donald Trump if elected to Congress.

Republicans have also criticized Turek as "too liberal" for Iowa, seeking to cast him as an ally of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Sand, who has attracted a national following as he runs for governor, has been floated by some in the national media as a potential 2028 presidential contender himself. The New York Times recently included Sand on its list of politicians who "could make a quick leap" to a national campaign.

Republicans, meanwhile, have criticized Sand as a career politician who they say has been campaigning for his next office since being elected state auditor in 2018.

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In his interview with Politico, Sand shut down the prospect of a future White House bid.

Asked whether he wanted to run for president one day, he answered: "No." Asked whether he would consider serving as a vice presidential nominee, he again replied: "No."

When the interviewer pressed him on the issue, Sand stood by his answer.

"I told you my answer," Sand said. "You don't have to believe me."

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.

Stephen Gruber-Miller is the Capitol bureau chief for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com , by phone at 515-284-8169 or on X at @sgrubermiller.