One day after ending his own run for the U.S. Senate, Nathan Sage endorsed Josh Turek for the Democratic nomination for Senate. In a statement on Monday, Sage said that both he and Turek come from working-class families “and it’s time we have more folks like us in Washington.”
Sage, a veteran who served in both the Marines and the Army, and the former executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, was the first Democrat to enter the 2026 Senate race, launching his campaign almost five months before incumbent Republican Sen. Joni Ernst announced she would not seek reelection.
This was Sage’s first run for office, and in his campaign he stressed his working-class background and his status as a political outsider.
“We don’t have proper representation in Washington D.C., we don’t have people fighting for what we believe in, and what we want to happen in our state and our country,” Sage said during a campaign stop in Iowa City last May.
“Everybody wants a better life, everybody wants better opportunities, everybody is tired of struggling the way we’re struggling in Iowa,” Sage said during his speech at Big Grove Brewery and Taproom. “We’re all struggling together in the richest country in the world. There’s absolutely no reason that we should be living this way, but we’ve all just been fed this lie that this is how it’s supposed to be.”
In a video message posted on social media on Sunday, Sage said he wanted to share “news that’s been weighing heavily on my heart over the past few weeks.”
“After long and thoughtful conversations with my family, my team and trusted supporters, I’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to end my campaign for the United States Senate.”
“Running to represent Iowans has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” he continued. “I’ve always been honest about the impact of money in my personal story, but that reality is even more undeniable when running for office. As a true grassroots campaign, we simply were unable to raise the financial resources necessary to keep this campaign viable.”
“In today’s political environment, it takes extraordinary sums of money to compete, to communicate, to travel the state, and to ensure our message reaches voters. Too often, that system favors those with wealth, powerful connections, and established influence.”
The emotion in Sage’s voice became more evident as he continued speaking.
“The reality of living in America right now is based on the haves and have-nots. This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. I didn’t step into this race lightly, and I don’t step away lightly.”
As he concluded his message, Sage said his campaign was over but his political fight wasn’t.
“I am not done speaking truth to power and holding Republicans, and even Democrats, accountable,” he said. “I will continue fighting for working-class people and pushing for elected leaders and a government that truly listens to and fights for our voices in Washington.”
After Sage announced he was leaving the race, both of the remaining Democratic contenders for the Senate nomination, state Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs and state Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville, posted statements praising Sage for his campaign.
“Nathan Sage brought real urgency and heart to the race, and I’m glad he stepped up for Iowans,” Wahls said.
Wahls also said Sage was right about “the bigger point: if Democrats want working-class Iowans to trust us again, we have to earn back that trust by showing up and actually making Iowans’ lives better,”
“Nathan has run a campaign that puts working people first,” Turek said. “As someone who also grew up in a working-class family, I deeply admire his grit and determination in making sure Iowans feel heard. He has put in the work to hear from Iowans in every corner of this state, and Democrats are better for it.”
Late Monday afternoon, Turek posted a 13-second video of Sage standing next to him, saying, “Let’s get this man elected.”
In an interview Sage and Turek did with the Des Moines Register, Sage explained why he decided to endorse Turek.
“He earned my trust,” Sage said about Turek. “And in Iowa you’ve got to trust your politicians, you’ve got to trust people to believe in them, you’ve got to trust them to vote for them. And I trust Josh Turek 100 percent that he’s here to fight for people, he’s here to properly represent people.”
Sage’s assessment of Turek is in sharp contrast to his assessment of Wahls.
“I don’t trust him,” Sage said about Wahls. “He comes off as not genuine, not authentic. He comes off as fake. He comes off as somebody that just thinks he’s supposed to be there.”
Wahls’ response to Sage’s endorsement of Turek was diplomatic.
“Nathan ran a spirited campaign, and I respect his decision,” he said in a statement. “Our campaign remains laser-focused on fighting for hardworking Iowa families, lowering costs and taking on the corruption and failed Washington establishment politicians who have rigged the system against Iowans for far too long.”
Wahls’ campaign also provided a statement from Jesse Case, secretary-treasurer and principle officer of Teamsters Local 238, who is a supporter of the senator from Coralville’s campaign. Case’s statement focused on rebutting Sage’s assessment of Wahls.
“Zach Wahls has been showing up for Iowa workers long before Nathan Sage or Josh Turek even got recruited to run by D.C. consultants and Chuck Schumer,” Case said. “Zach’s as real as it gets; he walks picket lines, he shows up to union halls, and he puts in the hard work. That’s why Zach Wahls is the overwhelming choice of labor and working people in this election, because Iowa families deserve a candidate who will always stand up for what’s right and not cave to D.C. insiders and party bosses.”
On his campaign site, Wahls lists endorsements from 18 union locals, and 23 Iowa labor leaders.
Center: Josh Turek (campaign photo); Right: Zach Wahls (campaign photo)
While Sage struggled with fundraising as his campaign went on, both Turek and Wahls have had continued success raising money since entering the race. According to Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports for the fourth quarter of 2025, which covers Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, Sage raised $229,929 and ended the quarter with $86,339 in the bank. Turek raised $677,806 and finished with $398,474 on hand. Wahls was the leading fundraiser among Democrats running for the seat being vacated by Joni Ernst, taking in $742,294 and ending the quarter with $733,481 in the bank.
Ashley Hinson, however, outraised all three Democrats combined in the fourth quarter. Hinson, who represents IA-02 in Congress and is the prohibitive frontrunner for the Republican nomination for Senate, raised $1,679,333 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, and had $5,170,263 on hand at the end of 2025.
