A prominent Iowa Democrat told Politico that Kamala Harris should not run for president again in 2028.
Rob Sand, the Iowa Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nominee, made the remarks in an interview with Politico. Sand has served as Iowa’s state auditor since 2019 and is working to position himself as a moderate candidate in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since 2011.
Sand is running against Republican businessman Zach Lahn. The seat is being vacated by outgoing Republican Governor Kim Reynolds.
As originally reported, Sand spoke with Politico’s Jonathan Martin at the Iowa State Fair, where he pushed back firmly on any notion of Harris mounting another presidential campaign. His comments were direct and left little room for interpretation.
Sand was also asked during that same conversation whether he would want former President Joe Biden to come campaign for him in Iowa. His response was blunt. “No. Can he even do that right now?” Sand said.
The remarks reflect the broader tension within the Democratic Party as it works through the aftermath of the 2024 election and begins looking ahead to the next presidential cycle. Sand’s willingness to publicly distance himself from both Harris and Biden signals how some Democrats running in competitive states are navigating that challenge.
Iowa has been a difficult state for Democrats at the gubernatorial level for well over a decade, and Sand’s moderate positioning appears to be a deliberate strategy for a race in which the political terrain heavily favors Republicans. His comments about Harris fit that same pattern, showing a candidate unwilling to attach himself to national Democratic figures who may carry significant political baggage in his state.
Whether Harris ultimately decides to pursue another presidential run remains an open question, but Sand’s dismissal adds to a growing list of voices within her own party urging her to step aside. For a potential candidate who has already faced intense scrutiny over her 2024 campaign, that kind of public rebuke from a fellow Democrat in a competitive state is a notable development.
Sand’s race against Lahn will be closely watched as a test of whether a moderate Democrat can break through in a state that has trended sharply Republican in recent election cycles.