Iowa Democrat says he’s for ‘continuing the ACA subsidies for at least 2 years’

2026 Midterm Elections & Iowa Senate Race - Democratic State Representative Josh Turk is running for Senate in Iowa, aiming to flip the seat after the incumbent Republican Senator Joanie Ernst announced she will not seek re-election [1][2] - Iowa hasn't had a Democratic senator in a decade, but Turk believes Iowa is a "common sense state that has masqueraded red" [2][3] - In 2022, Democrats were only 1.5% away from having three of six statewide officials [4] - Turk won his district, which Trump won by 20 points, by nearly six points [5] Healthcare Issues in Iowa - Iowa is last in the nation by basically every single metric for healthcare, including OBGYNs and rural hospitals [7] - Iowa has closed 31 nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and rural hospitals [7] - Iowa is the only state in the nation with a growing cancer rate [7][11] - 132,000 Iowans are expected to see their healthcare premiums double or triple in the next few days [7][9] - Turk supports continuing the ACA subsidies for at least two years [6][9] Affordability & Economic Issues - Affordability is a top issue in the midterms [9][10] - Turk advocates for a livable wage in Iowa, stating that the current $725 is not sufficient [10] - Affordable housing is being driven up by the influence of private equity [10] - Affordable and accessible healthcare and pharmaceuticals are needed [11] Democratic Party Leadership - Two Democratic candidates called for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down after eight Democrats voted with Republicans to end the government shutdown [12] - Turk believes the party needs change and wants to focus on what the leader will do for Iowa and Iowans [13][14][15]