press release
Aug 12, 2025
Iowa State Rep. and Two-Time Paralympic Gold Medalist Josh Turek Launches Run for US Senate
Turek: “Iowans deserve a senator who works for them again. So I’m running for U.S. Senate.”
Council Bluffs, IA - Today, two-time Paralympic gold medalist and Iowa State Representative Josh Turek, who represents the reddest seat held by a Democrat in the state of Iowa, announced he will run for United States Senate.
As a state legislator, Turek has been laser-focused on fighting for families who are struggling to make ends meet, and for the farmers and small businesses who are struggling to stay afloat in this economy, and he intends to do the same in the United States Senate.
“I love this country and I love Iowa,” Turek said. “But right now, families in Iowa are struggling. We have to bring down costs – the cost of health care, housing, prescription drugs, and the cost of doing business for farmers and small businesses. We have to prioritize working people, not billionaires and corporate interests that are screwing them over. Instead of cutting Medicaid for thousands of Iowans, we should make it easier for people to afford health care and address the growing rates of cancer. Joni Ernst went to Washington and forgot about fighting for us. Now she’s helping her party make life worse for working people while the wealthy and big corporations thrive. I’m running for Senate to stick up for Iowans, not billionaires.”
Born with spina bifida after his dad was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Josh overcame 21 surgeries by the age of 12 to eventually represent the U.S. at four Paralympics. After his basketball career ended with a gold medal in Tokyo in 2021, Josh ran to represent his hometown of Council Bluffs in the legislature. Running in a seat that Donald Trump had already won twice, Josh pushed his chair up hills and crawled up stairs to talk to Iowans of all political stripes, eventually winning by six votes. He was re-elected by a five point margin at the same time Trump was winning the seat by eight points, because he campaigned like he played basketball — outworking everyone, having conversations with everyone, no matter the party, and working for Iowans.
For more about Josh, visit turek4iowa.com.
Transcript:
I was born an underdog — 21 surgeries by the age of 12. Spina bifida, caused by my dad’s exposure to agent orange in Vietnam. A kid wearing goodwill hand-me-downs with the wrong color lunch ticket I knew nothing would come easy, but I never doubted my right to the american dream
Sitting in my wheel chair, 9 years old watching the Olympics, I dreamed of winning gold for my country, too. In 2016, I did just that. And then I did it again. It wouldn’t have been possible without the grit that made me shoot 1,000 shots every day. And I wouldn’t have gotten that far without VA health coverage from my dad’s service, free summer lunch programs when my parents were struggling, and a local AEA that made sure that I had access to a good education.
When I was a kid, there was a Senator from Iowa that made sure that the doors were open for kids like me. Now, the Senator from Iowa is just closing doors, taking away health care, making it harder for parents to feed their kids. All just to give tax breaks to billionaires
And her explanation? ‘Well, we all are going to die”
Well, I’m tired of Iowans being taken for granted. I wasn’t supposed to be able to win a state house seat that Trump won twice. But I campaigned just like I played basketball — outworking everyone. Pushing the hills, crawling the stairs, all just to have a conversation with everyday Iowans. Did not matter the party.
We won that first race by just 6 votes. We won the next one by five points in the reddest seat in Iowa held by a Democrat.
Iowans deserve a senator who works for them again. So I’m running for U.S. Senate. A whole lot of folks are gonna look at a guy like me and say, “Man, that is a real long shot”
Well in Iowa, we love an underdog. So if you are ready to push for change, join me.