Democrats on campaign trail divided by Kamala Harris

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Today's Top Stories - August 28, 2026

Today's Top Stories - August 28, 2026

Democratic candidates in competitive election races are taking different tacks this cycle over how close to affiliate themselves with former Vice President Kamala Harris, who’s lent her support to many of them but whose loss in the 2024 election has made her a more polarizing figure.

Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek (D) told reporters this week he didn’t want Harris to campaign for him as he pursues a Senate seat this cycle — a sentiment Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, the state’s auditor, also shared about Harris and former President Biden.

Former Rep. Mary Peltola’s (D-Alaska) Senate campaign also voiced frustration after Harris’s PAC issued a fundraising email for the red-state Democrat earlier this month.

But not all Democrats are keeping Harris at arm’s length.

The former vice president joined a Women for Ossoff call set up by Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-Ga.) reelection campaign. She also made a fundraising appeal on his Facebook page.

And Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said he was “grateful” to have Harris’s support after she endorsed him following his primary.

While the different tactics likely reflect the political realities of red and purple states, they’ve also raised questions about Harris’s political viability as she mulls a second presidential run.

“The VP did very well in some places and didn’t do great in others, and if you’re in a state where she didn’t perform well, it may not help you to have her campaign with you this fall,” said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons, who served as Harris’s communications director in the vice president’s office. 

“Each candidate has a different problem they’re trying to solve,” Simmons added. 

Democratic strategist Anthony Coley, who worked for the Biden administration, says that to win in red states, Democratic candidates have to “distinguish themselves from a national Democratic brand that is deeply unpopular.”

“As the party’s most recent presidential nominee, Kamala........

© The Hill