Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek has distanced himself from Vice President Kamala Harris, explicitly stating that he does not want her to participate in his campaign efforts. Turek, who is currently serving as a state representative and is a two-time Paralympic basketball gold medalist, made the remarks during a campaign event in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday.

When asked by a reporter about the possibility of collaborating with Harris during the election cycle, Turek rejected the prospect. While the report from The Hill notes the candidate's stance, it does not provide specific reasoning from Turek regarding why he prefers to keep the Vice President at a distance, nor does it detail whether this decision is based on local polling data or broader strategic concerns regarding the national Democratic ticket's popularity in Iowa. The report focuses primarily on the candidate's direct response to the question rather than the broader implications for the Democratic party in the state. As of now, the Harris campaign has not issued a public response to Turek’s comments, and it remains unclear if other Democratic candidates in the region share a similar perspective on national surrogates.