As the 2026 midterm elections approach, some Democrat candidates are reportedly keeping their distance from former Vice President Kamala Harris, with one prominent Democratic megadonor warning candidates that she is a “huge liability.”

According to a report from The Hill cited by Breitbart, while Harris has offered her support to numerous Democratic candidates, some within the party remain reluctant to associate themselves too closely with her following her 2024 presidential election loss to President Donald Trump.

The hesitation highlights a growing political calculation for Democrats heading into the midterms: whether embracing the party’s most recognizable national figures will help—or hurt—their chances with voters.

Harris remains a significant figure within the Democratic Party, but the reported reluctance of candidates to publicly align themselves with her suggests that her political standing has not fully recovered from the 2024 election.

For Democrats competing in competitive races, the question may ultimately come down to whether they believe national party figures are an asset on the campaign trail—or a liability they would rather leave behind.

With control of Congress at stake, Democratic candidates may be looking to define themselves independently rather than tie their campaigns to the party’s recent national record.