Josh Turek
Democratic candidate for United States Senator, Iowa · Open seat
Iowa State Representative (House District 20); two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball
Josh Turek is a Democratic state representative from Council Bluffs who has served in the Iowa House since January 2023 and won two Paralympic gold medals in wheelchair basketball for Team USA. He is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat that Sen. Joni Ernst is leaving when she retires. In the November 3, 2026 general election he faces Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and Libertarian Thomas Laehn.
Where Turek stands
- Tariffs and trade
- Supports ending the current tariffs, which he calls 'chaotic' and says are raising grocery costs and hurting farm prices. Argues tariff authority should rest mainly with Congress, not the president.
- Cost of living / war in Iran
- Says ending the war with Iran is needed to bring down gas, diesel and fertilizer costs.
- Health care
- Supports restoring Medicaid funding cut by the 2025 budget law, protecting and expanding ACA subsidies, and creating a public option. Proposes banning insurers from denying care a doctor has prescribed.
- Prescription drugs
- Supports expanding Medicare drug-price negotiation, capping prescription drug costs, and cracking down on pharmacy benefit managers.
- Agriculture
- Supports passing a Farm Bill, a federal right-to-repair law, and mandatory country-of-origin labeling. Proposes cracking down on monopolies in agribusiness and meatpacking.
- Housing
- Proposes banning Wall Street private equity firms from buying single-family homes and farmland, and simplifying permits so housing can be built faster.
- Wages and labor
- Supports raising the minimum wage with automatic raises tied to inflation, and passing the PRO Act.
- Taxes
- Supports cutting taxes for middle-class and working families and closing tax loopholes for billionaires and large corporations.
- Social Security and Medicare
- Pledges to protect Social Security and Medicare. Proposes strengthening Social Security by having billionaires pay more into it.
- Abortion
- Supports making Roe v. Wade federal law and protecting access to contraception and IVF. In the Iowa House he sponsored a bill to repeal Iowa's abortion law.
Background
- Iowa House of Representatives, District 20 (Council Bluffs), 2023–present
- Two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, Team USA
- Born April 12, 1979, in Council Bluffs, Iowa; born with spina bifida
- B.A., Southwest Minnesota State University; MBA, DeVry University
- 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Iowa
In the news
- Iowa Senate candidate Josh Turek brings campaign to Davenport Our Quad Cities News (WHBF), October 19, 2026
- One-on-one with Iowa U.S. Senate candidate State Rep. Josh Turek KTTC, October 16, 2026
- Hinson, Turek Clash in Iowa Debate: Takeaways and Latest Polls Newsweek, October 13, 2026
- Turek, Hinson talk legislative track records at US Senate debate Iowa Capital Dispatch, October 7, 2026
- Iowa U.S. Senate Candidate Josh Turek (D) Says Upcoming Election Is About Rising Costs C-SPAN, September 29, 2026
Also running for United States Senator
- Ashley Hinson Republican
- Thomas Laehn Libertarian
Sources
- Turek for Iowa campaign platform
- Newsweek – final debate takeaways
- C-SPAN clip on rising costs
- KTTC interview
- Iowa Capital Dispatch – first debate
- Wikipedia – Josh Turek (biographical details)
Last researched October 23, 2026. Written in neutral language from the sources above. Spot an error? See how to report it.
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