Democrats in Close Midterm Races Keep Telling Kamala Harris to Stay Away
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is increasing her involvement in the 2026 midterm elections, while Democratic candidates across the country are taking different positions on whether she should campaign for them.
Harris is scheduled to attend a canvass launch next month in Las Vegas with Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is running for governor, Ford’s campaign told Politico.
Ford said Harris’ appearance would help highlight Nevada’s importance in future presidential elections.
“As anyone who is interested in 2028 should do, Kamala Harris will be coming through,” Ford said. “We are a pivotal state in the presidential election.”
“2028 starts right now in 2026,” he added.
Harris recently endorsed Rep. Chris Pappas in his campaign for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire.
She has also become involved in three House races, including two Democratic-leaning districts in her home state of California and one Republican-held district in Tennessee.
The increased activity follows a period in which Harris had maintained a relatively limited presence on the campaign trail.
Some Democratic candidates have said they do not want Harris to appear with them during the midterm campaign.
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand said he would not want Harris to campaign alongside him as he runs for governor.
State Rep. Josh Turek, a Democratic Senate candidate in Iowa, also said he did not want Harris to campaign for him.
In Wisconsin, Rebecca Cooke, the Democratic challenger to Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Republican, said she did not need Harris to appear in her district.
“I received 9,000 more votes than Harris in 2024,” Cooke said in a statement. “I don’t need anyone to come and campaign with me in my district.”
Cooke said she was focused on building relationships with voters, including voters from both political parties.
A campaign aide said Cooke’s campaign had declined offers from other national Democrats while concentrating on her own message.
Cooke has accepted support from other prominent Democrats. She featured Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in campaign advertisements during her primary campaign and has accepted endorsements from Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.
In Kansas, Democratic Senate nominee Adam Hamilton said he was running a Kansas-centered campaign and described himself as an independent-minded Democrat.
“Having somebody from California come in and try to tell Kansans who they should vote for is a pretty bad idea,” Hamilton said.
Harris has not endorsed Hamilton.
Hamilton is running in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.
In Alaska, Harris’ team sent a fundraising email on behalf of former Rep. Mary Peltola before the state’s primary election. A Peltola spokesperson later told an Alaska television station that Peltola was not seeking endorsements from politicians from the lower 48 states.
Other Democratic campaigns have not said publicly how involved they want Harris to be. Campaign representatives for candidates in Michigan, Maine, and North Carolina declined to comment to Politico.
Harris’ support has been welcomed by some Democrats.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff’s campaign said he was grateful for her help and would welcome her to campaign in the state.
In Massachusetts, former Biden White House aide Dan Koh ran with endorsements from Harris and former President Joe Biden during his successful House primary campaign.
Harris spokesman Eduardo Negrón said Harris would continue raising money and traveling on behalf of candidates in races where she could assist them.
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