Iowa's Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Rob Sand, made clear this week that he does not want to see former Vice President Kamala Harris mount another White House bid in 2028. In an interview with Politico's Jonathan Martin released Wednesday, Sand responded with a flat "Nope" when asked if Harris should seek the Democratic nomination again.
The state auditor, who is running to replace outgoing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, also brushed aside the possibility of Harris stumping for him on the campaign trail. "No thanks," Sand said when pressed, adding, "Let's move on. We need some new leadership."
Sand's comments come as Harris has left the door open to another presidential run. In April, she told the Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network's annual convention that she was "thinking about it" and "might" run again. But Sand's blunt dismissal reflects a growing appetite within some Democratic circles for a generational shift after back-to-back presidential losses.
The Iowa race itself is shaping up to be a competitive contest. Sand faces Republican businessman Zach Lahn in the general election, and a recent Suffolk University poll shows Sand leading 48 percent to 44 percent, within the margin of error. A Democrat hasn't won the Iowa governor's mansion since Chet Culver did so two decades ago, but recent ratings shifts suggest the race is tightening.
Sand, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Iowa, has been openly critical of his own party's leadership. Earlier this month, he argued that blue states like California and New York "are not utopia," using a farming metaphor to call for fresh faces in politics. "You can put something in a place, and it does okay for a little while. But if it's there for too long, it gets unbalanced," he said at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox. "Time to rotate the crops in the capitol building."
His rejection of Harris extends to other party elders. When asked whether former President Joe Biden could campaign for him, Sand dismissed the idea, questioning whether Biden, who is 83 and battling prostate cancer, could even do so. "Can he even do that right now? I'm sorry," Sand said.
The interview underscores a broader tension within the Democratic Party as it grapples with its future. Some strategists argue that leaning into local races and distancing from national figures could help rebuild trust, especially in rural and Midwestern states. Others worry that outright rejection of high-profile Democrats like Harris could alienate base voters. The Alaska Senate race has similarly become a test of how Democrats position themselves ahead of 2026.
Sand's campaign has not shied away from breaking with party orthodoxy, and his comments on Harris are likely to resonate with voters who want a clean break from the recent past. Whether that strategy pays off in a state that has trended Republican remains to be seen, but Sand's lead in the polls suggests his message is finding some traction.
For now, Sand is focused on winning in November, and he's making clear that he'd rather run on his own terms than with the backing of Washington's Democratic establishment. As he put it, "We need some new leadership."
