Iowa state Representative Josh Turek (D) declined to state whether he would back Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to lead the Democratic Party in the next Congress. In a Wednesday, July 30th, 2026 interview with former White House press secretary Jen Psaki on MS NOW, Turek said he was “not trying to measure the drapes yet,” signaling hesitation to commit on Schumer’s leadership.

Turek, who has served in the Iowa state House since 2023, noted that if he wins the Senate seat in Iowa, he would have questions for Democratic leadership regarding their plans to assist Iowans and the middle class.

Democratic confidence in Turek has grown following his June primary victory against Iowa state Sen. Maeve Coyle. A Fox News poll released in early July showed that 50 percent of 1,003 registered Iowa voters supported Turek. Maeve Coyle, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told The Hill that Turek’s nomination “puts Iowa firmly on the Senate map.”

Iowa has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since former Sen. [Name not specified]. Meanwhile, in Maine, former Senate president Troy Jackson, who is challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins, has publicly stated he would not support Schumer as the party’s leader in the Senate.

Sources