Iowa Democrats Run From Their Own Party to Win Red-State Voters
As Democrats fight to reclaim Congress, candidates in conservative states like Iowa are trying a familiar playbook: distance themselves from their own party. From criticizing former President Joe Biden to promising cooperation with President Donald Trump on border security, Democratic nominees are tacking hard to the center in hopes of winning over the voters who put Trump in the White House twice.
This strategy is playing out prominently in Iowa, where the path to a Senate majority runs through territory Trump carried. Both Democratic Senate nominee Josh Turek and gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand are betting that Iowa voters will reward candidates who break with national Democratic orthodoxy.
Josh Turek touts bipartisanship in Iowa Senate race
Iowa Democratic Senate nominee Josh Turek is making bipartisanship the centerpiece of his campaign against Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson for the seat of retiring Sen. Joni Ernst. Turek, who represented a state legislative district won by Trump, points to the hundreds of times he voted with Republicans as evidence he can appeal to independents and moderate Republicans.
His campaign is running an ad decrying America's broken immigration system, with Turek saying,
I'll work with anyone to fix it, including President Trump.
Hinson responded sharply after Turek won the nomination, telling delegates at the Republican state convention that he was masquerading as a moderate and calling him a far-left fraud.
Rob Sand says both parties are broken in governor's race
In the Iowa governor's race, Democrat Rob Sand is taking an even more unconventional approach by attacking the entire two-party system. Sand says America's political system is broken largely because it's run by two private clubs, describing voters as divided between the well fed and the fed up.
Sand sees an opportunity in Iowa, where high costs, manufacturing job losses, and a struggling agricultural economy are weighing on voters. He believes he can win over independents and Republicans frustrated with party politics.
Republican nominee Zach Lahn dismissed Sand's critique as inauthentic. Appearing on the Ruthless podcast this summer, Lahn said Democrats are realizing their ideas don't sell and have to pretend to be somebody they're not.
Democrats across the country copy the centrist playbook
The Iowa races are part of a broader national trend. In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper is running for Senate on a record of forging compromise with the Republican-led legislature. His ads tout that he toughened bail laws, went after drug dealers pushing fentanyl, and said no way to defunding the police.
In Alaska, former Rep. Mary Peltola has revived her fish, family, freedom slogan while expressing support for Second Amendment rights, border security, and the massive Willow oil project on the North Slope. When both parties are attacking you, you're doing something right, she says in one ad.
Kansas Democratic Senate nominee Adam Hamilton, a megachurch pastor, describes himself as a centrist running partly on bringing people together. His ads note that Kansas is about a million miles away from the extreme politics of Washington that are tearing us apart and driving up prices.
Will Iowa voters buy the message?
The question for Iowa Democrats is whether voters will accept this centrist positioning as genuine. Republican critics argue the shift is purely tactical, a recognition that progressive ideas don't sell in the Hawkeye State.
Democrats counter that they are reflecting the values of their districts. As Adam Frisch, finance director for Welcome PAC, put it: You need to own values that are where the center of the party is.
With control of Congress on the line, Iowa voters will have the final say in November.
FAQ: Iowa's 2026 Senate and governor races
Who is running for Senate in Iowa?
Democratic nominee Josh Turek is challenging Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.
Who is running for governor of Iowa?
Democrat Rob Sand is challenging Republican nominee Zach Lahn in the race to lead the state.
Why are Iowa Democrats running as centrists?
Democratic candidates are seeking to distance themselves from national party positions on issues like immigration, policing, and socialism to appeal to the conservative-leaning voters who dominate Iowa elections.