Kamala Harris has begun campaigning for Democratic midterm candidates, but her efforts are facing resistance from some party members who believe she might hinder rather than help their campaigns. Adam Hamilton, a Democratic Senate candidate in Kansas, explicitly asked Harris not to visit his state due to concerns that her presence could detract from his message. Critics argue that Harris’s confusing rhetoric, often referred to as “word salad,” limits her effectiveness and appeal beyond specific voter demographics like African American voters.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Kamala Harris, former US Vice President, has begun campaigning for midterm elections, drawing mixed reactions from Democrats. In Detroit, during an appearance at a maternal and infant health center, she made confusing statements that some perceived as incoherent. Megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton, running for Senate in Kansas, explicitly asked her not to visit his state, arguing that her presence could harm rather than help his campaign. Other Democrats echoed this sentiment, with one source noting that Harris's polling numbers are poor and suggesting she might only be useful in states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi where African American voter turnout is crucial. Despite the criticism, more rallies for candidates such as Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford are scheduled.
Written for “Kamala Harris Midterm Campaign” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
More Harris rallies are planned for Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in Georgia and Nevada gubernatorial Aaron Ford, who is the state AG — but some Democrats are already saying no thanks.
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Democrats → plan → thanks
Adam Hamilton, the megachurch pastor who is the Democrats’ Senate candidate in Kansas, flat-out rejected the idea of a Harris visit.
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who → reject → visit
I would say please do not come to my state.
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I → say → state
I do not need you here.
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I → need → you
You would actually hurt me,” he flatly told NBC.
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he → hurt → NBC
“It’s good to go to the places where candidates think it will help.
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it → ’ → places
But of the possible 2028 candidates, she’s been turned down a lot,” a Dem working on midterm races told The Post.
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Dem → turn → Post
“I wouldn’t say she’s a top surrogate.
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she → say → ?
Her polling is atrocious,” said a Republican source, who predicted the few states where she might be of use are Georgia, North Carolina and Mississippi.
uncertain
she → say → use
“She’s still giving a word salad answer for everything she’s asked . . .
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she → give → everything
She is probably helpful with African American turnout and that’s probably all she helps with,” said the source.
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source → ’ → turnout
At her event at a maternal and infant health center in Detroit Tuesday, her confounding comment — about what “black people and black birthing people need in order to move themselves forward” – drew swift ridicule.
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people → confound → ridicule
“That’s a whole lot of word salad,” said one Democratic operative.
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operative → ’ → salad
She later said an attack on DEI “is an attack by definition on maternal care, including the need to protect Black women in connection with their pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care,” but gave no explanation why this is the case.
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this → say → explanation
El-Sayed stared ahead with a blank expression.
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Sayed → star → expression
In an election where El-Sayed’s anti-Israel radicalism have been a flashpoint — and risked driving away traditional Democrats — she danced around the elephant in the room.
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she → risk → room
“It’s OK to not be in love with a candidate,” Harris said at an NAACP forum in Detroit that El-Sayed did not attend.
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Sayed → ’ → that
At one point she gave a soliloquy about the size and nature of the state of Michigan without saying much of substance.
“
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she → give → substance
Whether it was the the conversations that we would have in the context of the caucus, or the senator from Michigan walking onto the floor of the Senate, and the voice that they carry, because of the size, the nature, and the significance of the population of the people in this state, his will be a voice — Abdul’s — that is a voice representing the people of this state, and it will be a national voice,” she said.
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she → have → state
The line had echoes of her flowery socialist-driven language declaring “I can imagine what can be, and be unburdened by what has been,” which has made it onto compilation lists of her meandering responses.
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which → have → responses
Still, she manages to lead fellow Democrats with about 25% support among potential presidential candidates in the RealClearPolitics average, though some critics say that represents soft support and high name recognition.
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that → manage → support
Sources say Harris is on the lookout for some of the limited number of places where she could do a mutually beneficial event for a candidate – after Alaska Senate candidate Rep. Mary Peltola’s awkward rejection of a Harris fundraising email that touted her.
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that → say → her
Harris was underwater in a Harvard Harris poll in July, with a 41% favorable rating compared to a 48 percent unfavorable rating.
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Harris → compare → rating
That’s a reversal from her high point weeks before her election loss to President Trump, when Harris had a 48% approval rating, according to Gallup.
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Harris → ’ → Gallup
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