Harris on some Democrats shunning her: ‘I would expect nothing less’

Former Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday she was not surprised by some red-state Democrats not wanting her endorsement, arguing those candidates are doing what it takes to win.

“We need to win, OK? Bottom line, we need to win,” Harris told host Peter Alexander on MS NOW’s “State of Play.”

The former vice president noted she has run in local, statewide and national elections, adding Democratic candidates this cycle “know what they need to do” to win their races.

“I would expect nothing less,” Harris remarked, adding she “is looking forward” to campaigning for Democrats where she can be “helpful.”

Multiple red-state Democrats have stiff-armed support from Harris in recent weeks, as the party seeks to take control of both chambers of Congress for the final two years of President Trump’s term.

Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek (D), running for Senate in the Hawkeye State, told reporters last week he did not want Harris to campaign for him.

The campaign of former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) also rejected support from the first female vice president after her PAC sent out a fundraising email for the Alaska Senate candidate last month.

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand (D), who is running for governor , said last month he did not want Harris nor former President Biden to campaign for him.

“No thanks,” Sand told Politico’s Jonathan Martin . “Let’s move on. We need some new leadership.”

Sand also had no interest in Harris running for president again in 2028. When Martin asked him whether the former vice president should seek the Democratic nomination again, Sand replied, “Nope.”

Some Democrats, including Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.) and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, have welcomed support from Harris. El-Sayed said he was “grateful” to have the former vice president’s support after she endorsed him following his primary victory .

Harris, who dropped out of the 2020 presidential race before the primaries and lost to Trump in 2024, has not said whether she will run again in 2028. But she noted in April she “might” do so.

“I’m thinking about it,” Harris told the Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network’s annual convention .

Harris is polling at or near the top of most recent national surveys of potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders.

But an August analysis from Sabato’s Crystal Ball noted Harris “performs particularly poorly in some state-level surveys,” including in New Hampshire — which is set to vote third in the next Democratic primary.

A survey of Granite State voters Saint Anselm College conducted on Aug. 17-18 found Harris in sixth place among a crowded field of Democrats, with just 3 percent support.

That put her behind former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ossoff, Sen. Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.