"No. Can he even do that right now? I'm sorry,” was Sand’s response to Politico's Jonathan Martin during the over 30-minute interview while at the Iowa State Fair.

Sand, who is running for Iowa State Auditor, elaborated, saying that we need new leadership and calling on Harris not to run for president in 2028.

He began to discuss how he differed from his party on several cultural issues, saying "I just think girls sports are for girls and boys sports are for boys,” and "the border was obviously a mess under the Biden administration."

Sand, the Iowa auditor of state, is running against Trump-backed Republican Zach Lahn in the state's 2026 gubernatorial race.

President Donald Trump declared in part of a Truth Social post in July, "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, a place I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024!"

Sand is not the only candidate who shares the sentiment that Biden and Harris should step back. Fellow Iowa U.S. Senate Candidate Josh Turek, in an interview with C-SPAN reporters, said flatly “no” when asked if Kamala Harris should campaign for him.

During the 2024 presidential campaign cycle, Biden, who was entering the race as the oldest candidate in history at 81, faced repeated backlash within the Democratic Party for attempting his second term.

Believing he would be the best candidate to defeat Republican challenger Donald Trump, Biden maintained his position late into the campaign cycle, only to drop out near the general election, opting to endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris, for the Democratic ticket.

Biden trusted that Harris’ position and his endorsement would jettison the last-minute candidate into the presidency; however, she was defeated by Trump following the November election.

Some Democrats who criticized Biden’s approach naturally wanted to distance themselves from the former president, explaining why gubernatorial candidates like Sand would resist a possible campaign endorsement.

The Democratic Party continues to grapple with how to create a consistent identity, with moderates and progressives who share the same party affiliation seemingly at odds over how the party should move forward.