As the 2026 campaign season intensifies, a number of Democratic candidates are running for office in states that supported Donald Trump in 2024 — and in several cases, in earlier elections as well — despite holding records, endorsements, and affiliations that put them sharply at odds with many of their constituents’ values.
Former vice president Kamala Harris, who failed to win Alaska in her own presidential primary, has raised money for Senate candidate Mary Peltola. Peltola also supported Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior — despite Haaland’s 2020 position in favor of stopping deportations and dismantling ICE. Notably, none of Peltola’s endorsers in the House or Senate voted for the bill that opened up development of Alaska’s natural resources. Among her financial backers are progressive groups like the Human Rights Campaign, which has denounced efforts to counter Critical Race Theory, and Indivisible, an organization created to resist the Trump agenda.
In Iowa, Josh Turek and Nathan Sage, both candidates for the U.S. Senate, have attended and supported “No Kings” rallies opposing the former president. Sage, in particular, has made several inflammatory statements, calling the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles during unrest “fucking insane” and a “perversion of the American military.” Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls, also a candidate for the U.S. Senate, has posted consistently negative commentary on Trump on X, accusing him of lying about tax cuts, government spending, the economy, and the border wall. Wahls also blamed Trump for inflation and the spread of COVID-19, and characterized Republican leadership under Trump as dishonest and harmful, with posts ranging from 2015 through 2024.
In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, has described Trump as an “existential threat” and accused him of promoting “ethnic cleansing.” He continued his criticism even after the near-assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024. Meanwhile, Rep. Haley Stevens, who is also running for the U.S. Senate, voted against Trump 85.9 percent of the time during his second term and 89 percent over her lifetime in Congress, rejected several of his key economic and energy initiatives, including tax cuts that saved the average family in her district nearly $3,000 a year. Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, another Democratic Senate contender, has raised money for groups such as CHIRLA, CAIR, and Campaign Zero — organizations that support left-leaning immigration and policing reforms.
In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper, who is running for U.S. Senate, recalled National Guard troops from the U.S.-Mexico border in protest of the administration’s immigration policies. In 2019, he publicly referred to the proposed border wall as “unnecessary,” and in 2024, he criticized Republicans for asking him to support Texas in their southern border efforts.
Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who is running for U.S. Senate, voted to terminate President Trump’s national emergency declaration for the construction of the border wall, stating that “the only ‘national emergency’ is in Donald Trump’s head.” He also voted to convict President Trump in both impeachment trials: first, for abuse of power related to a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and later for incitement following the events of January 6th.
In Georgia, Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for reelection, has consistently voted against Trump-backed nominees and policies, opposing 91.3 percent of Trump’s agenda. He voted against a version of the Laken Riley Act and the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants. Ossoff also voted not to confirm a number of Trump’s second-term Cabinet picks, including Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr., Pete Hegseth, and Kristi Noem, and was one of only 19 senators to vote against Abigail Slater. In several cases, including for Scott Bessent and Sean Duffy, Ossoff abstained from voting.
