While Republicans continue to unite and rally around Joni Ernst, tensions are rising in the Democratic Senate primary.  
 
As TIME reported today, “the DSCC’s pattern of endorsing candidates early in their primaries has sown resentment among some grassroots campaigns and progressive activists in a handful of crucial states, including Iowa.”
 
Despite Chuck Schumer’s efforts to stifle any primary opponent to DC-favorite Theresa Greenfield, the other candidates in the primary have made it clear they are not backing down. 
 
Check out what Democrats in Iowa had to say about the DSCC’s unwelcome insertion into the race:
 
Michael Franken, candidate for U.S. Senate
 
“We shouldn’t rig elections,” retired Admiral Michael Franken, who is also running against Greenfield, told TIME. “And that’s a tough word—rig—but generally speaking the operatives in Washington, DC, do not have a track history in this state of choosing the most viable candidate.”
 
Kimberly Graham, candidate for U.S. Senate
 
“Why not let the candidates who are going to get in the race get in, give them six months or whatever amount of time, and see what happens, see what they do?” she said in an interview with TIME. “If we really want a democracy then maybe we should back off a little bit and let the Iowa voters decide who is the best person to represent them.”
 
Eddie Mauro, candidate for U.S. Senate
 
“...in conversations with Schumer and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, the chair of the DSCC, in the spring, he was also told that they did not want a primary. “We talked about the prospects of me running for the US Senate,” he told TIME. “They were concerned about having a primary, they preferred not to have a primary at all.”
 
Rob Hogg, Iowa State Senator (candidate for U.S. Senate in previous Senate race)
 
“I believe to this day that that was a mistake by the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee to intervene in that race,” Hogg said. In 2014, the DSCC endorsed Bruce Braley, who ran what most Democrats agree was a bad campaign. He too lost to Ernst.
 
“I don’t think Iowans have much confidence in the ability of the DSCC to pick candidates,” Hogg told TIME, describing DSCC endorsements as “meddling” in state primaries. “Unquestionably people want the DSCC to stay out of our primary,” he added. Hogg has not endorsed in the current primary.
 
Bryce Smith, Chair of Iowa Dallas County Democrats
 
“I definitely feel as though it kind of rubs against the grain,” he told TIME.
“In my personal view and what I hear from people is that that help comes once the nominee has been picked by Democratic voters,” he added. “I think that’s kind of the hurdle that’s being skipped by the DSCC.”

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