Democrat Nathan Sage is ending his bid for the U.S. Senate, narrowing the field of candidates seeking to be the first Democrat since 2008 to win a Senate race in Iowa.
“After thoughtful conversations with my family, my team and trusted supporters, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to end my campaign for the United States Senate,” Sage said in a statement Sunday, Feb. 15.
Sage — a military veteran, the former executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce and a first-time candidate for office — focused his campaign on working-class issues. On the campaign trail, he spoke bluntly about his experience growing up in a trailer park in Mason City, enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps and deploying overseas to Iraq.
He argued billionaires have too much influence over the nation’s elections and economy and he advocated for raising wages and lowering health care costs for working-class Iowans.
In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Sage said he’s proud of how he drew attention to working-class issues with his campaign and listened to Iowans in all 99 counties.
“I’m very proud that people have gotten behind me,” he said. “I’m very proud that people were willing to work for us and fight for us and be a part of this because they know that this is what we need is real working-class representation.”
He said he’ll continue to fight for those issues in the future.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I’m not done. I’m going to continue to be bringing working-class issues to the table, talking about the things that need to be talked about that a lot of people shy away from or are scared to talk about.”
Slowdown in Sage’s fundraising became an impediment
Sage was the first Democrat to announce a campaign for U.S. Senate in April 2025, when it wasn’t clear whether incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst would seek another term.
He raised $700,000 from April through June and $410,000 from July through September. But as more candidates entered the race and Ernst announced Aug. 29 she would not seek reelection, Sage found it harder to compete for attention.
The most recent federal campaign finance reports showed a drop off in Sage’s fundraising in the fourth quarter of 2025. Sage raised just $230,000 and spent $412,000, leaving him with $86,000 in the bank.
That lags far behind his fellow Democrats competing for the nomination. State Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville raised $742,000 in the fourth quarter and state Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs raised $678,000.
Sage admitted that fundraising was a major factor in his decision to drop out, saying “we can’t raise the money.”
“You’ve got two other good candidates in this race that are raising money and it makes it harder,” Sage said. “And to be able to keep going, that’s what it takes, and right now we can’t do that.”
Wahls and Turek are competing to take on the winner of the Republican primary, where 2nd District U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson is heavily favored.
Hinson has the endorsements of President Donald Trump, Gov. Kim Reynolds and Ernst, as well as a massive financial advantage over former state Sen. Jim Carlin.
Iowa’s primary election will be held June 2.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Democrat Nathan Sage ends his campaign for Iowa’s US Senate seat
Reporting by Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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