Iowa Democrat Tells Biden and Harris 'No Thanks': We Need New Leadership

Iowa Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand has made it clear he does not want Joe Biden or Kamala Harris anywhere near his campaign. In an interview with Politico's Jonathan Martin, the state auditor was asked whether he would welcome campaign help from the former president and former vice president. His answer was a flat no.

Asked about Biden, Sand replied, "No. Can he even do that right now? I'm sorry." When Martin brought up Harris, Sand said, "No thanks. Let's move on. We need some new leadership." He was equally blunt when asked whether Harris should run for president again in 2028: "Nope."

An Open Break From the Old Guard

Sand's comments are a striking example of a Democrat running for statewide office who wants nothing to do with the party's most recognizable national figures. Biden dropped out of the 2024 race after a widely criticized debate performance and handed the nomination to Harris, who then lost the general election to Donald Trump. Harris has not ruled out another run, telling Al Sharpton in April that she "might" seek the presidency in 2028 and was "thinking about it."

Sand is positioning himself as a moderate in a state Trump carried by double digits in 2016, 2020, and 2024. He has publicly rejected Democratic socialism, and in recent appearances he has warned that independent candidacies split the vote and hand races to Republicans -- part of why he chose to run inside the Democratic primary rather than as an independent.

The Iowa Race Takes Shape

Sand faces Republican Zach Lahn in the general election. Lahn, a businessman backed by the MAHA movement, pulled off an upset in the GOP primary over Trump-endorsed Congressman Randy Feenstra, who conceded the race. Since then, Lahn has picked up Trump's endorsement. "It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Zach Lahn, a tremendous Candidate running to be the next Governor of the Wonderful State of Iowa," Trump wrote last month.

The race is wide open because Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced last year that she will not seek reelection. That has made Iowa one of the most competitive governor's races in the country this cycle, with both parties treating the open seat as a must-win.

Sand's distance from Biden and Harris may be a calculation. National Democrats remain deeply unpopular in Iowa, and Sand is betting that running as an Iowa-focused moderate -- not a national party loyalist -- gives him a real shot in November.

What Happens Next

Sand has not received a public response from either Biden or Harris, and it is unclear whether either was planning to campaign in Iowa. The bigger question is how the national party reacts to a leading statewide candidate openly rejecting its top figures.

Iowa's governor's race is now a test of whether Democrats can win back voters who abandoned the party in the last two presidential cycles. Sand has drawn his line: he wants Iowa voters, not Biden or Harris, to decide his race. Whether that strategy works will be one of the most watched storylines of the 2026 midterms.