(Des Moines) Nathan Sage, Marine veteran, mechanic, sports radio host, and former Executive Director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement after announcing the suspension of his campaign for United States Senate today:
“Today, I share news that weighs heavily on my heart. 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.
Running to represent Iowans has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I have 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.
That’s not why I entered this race. I ran because I believe working people deserve a voice in Washington that is not controlled by special interests or corporate power. The reality of living in America right now is all about the haves and the have nots, regardless of class, and I know firsthand the economic struggles facing working families – rising costs, shrinking wages, and the constant pressure of trying to do more with less. Making this decision is especially painful because those struggles are real, urgent, and ongoing.
This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. I did not step into this race lightly, and I do not step away lightly. I am deeply grateful to every volunteer who spent hours working for this campaign, every donor who gave what they could, every supporter who stood with us, and every Iowan who shared their hopes and frustrations with me. Your belief in this campaign has humbled me beyond words.
While this campaign may be ending, my commitment to this fight is not. I am not done speaking truth to power and holding republicans, and even democrats, accountable. 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. The need to unrig our economy and get big money out of politics does not disappear because our campaign is ending – if anything, this outcome reiterates the core tenets of why I got in this race.
Sage says this is not goodbye…it is simply see you later.”
