ICYMI: Iowans Everywhere Are Telling Their Neighbors Why They Are Voting for Josh Turek

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 18, 2025

ICYMI: Iowans Everywhere Are Telling Their Neighbors Why They Are Voting for Josh Turek

Turek supporters are blanketing their local papers with LTEs on why they are supporting Josh

Des Moines, IA — Over the last month, Iowans across the state have placed letters to the editor in their hometown papers outlining why Josh Turek is their choice to take on Ashley Hinson and win back Senator Harkin’s seat.

See below for a roundup from across Iowa:

Storm Lake Times Pilot: Letters to the Editor: Endorsing Josh Turek, by Tom Harkin, Retired Iowa Senator

I was proud and honored to represent my fellow Iowans for 30 years in the US Senate. Thank you, Iowans, for giving me that opportunity, over five statewide elections, to work for you.
I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you.
That’s why I am supporting Josh Turek for the Democratic nomination for the US senate in the Democratic primary on June 2.
Josh Turek has the Iowa values, the Iowa work ethic, the Iowa “can do” spirit, and has won election and re-election to the Iowa House of Representatives in a very challenging area for Democrats. There’s a saying that “rough weather makes good timber.“ Josh has had some pretty rough weather in his life, and he is “good timber.” In fact, Josh is as strong and resilient as a good Iowa Bur Oak!
He will be a strong and successful advocate in the US Senate for the people of Iowa and for our nation. I ask you to join with me in voting for Josh Turek for U.S. Senate in the June 2 primary, and sending him on to Washington to work for all of us.

The Gazette: Josh Turek is the fighter Iowa needs in the U.S. Senate, by Sami Scheetz

Before state Rep. Josh Turek was sworn in with me to the Iowa House in January 2023, there was no ramp leading to the well of the chamber. In the 179 years since Iowa became a state, no member of the Legislature had ever needed one. Josh did. So a ramp was built.
A few months later, I watched a group of kids in wheelchairs roll down it and sit on the floor of the people’s house. It is still one of the most vivid and meaningful memories I have from my time in the Legislature.
Josh has faced incredible adversity and has succeeded despite these challenges. He was bullied in school because of his disability. He knows firsthand the hardships families face when making ends meet — he often retells the story of lining up at school with the wrong color lunch ticket.
What I saw in Josh was a combination of work ethic and integrity. He fought to pass Work Without Worry — bipartisan legislation that would let disabled Iowans hold a job without losing the healthcare they depend on. His fight to protect working families and Iowans with disabilities isn’t political. It’s personal. Throughout his career, he’s built coalitions with Republicans, Democrats and independents.
I saw that same work ethic on the doors in Council Bluffs. In 2024, I watched him work door after door. Most houses don’t have ramps, but that didn’t stop Josh. He pulled himself out of his wheelchair and climbed those steps because he wasn’t going to skip a single voter who deserved to be asked for their support. I’ve never seen someone work harder to represent his community.
In Josh’s retirement speech from the Iowa House, he had just one request — keep the ramps in the chamber of the people’s house. Iowa needs a U.S. senator who has fought for working families his entire life, who can win the voters the Democratic Party has been losing, and who will go to Washington and out-work everyone in that building, too.
That senator is Josh Turek. I’m proud to support him, and I hope you will too.

Bleeding Heartland: Josh Turek is Democrats’ best chance to win back Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat, by Mary Riche

Josh Turek isn’t just a strong candidate—he is the Democrat who can win back Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat. Josh brings the disciplined work ethic, grit, and proven ability to win at a time when Iowans need results for their problems, not political talking points.
I enthusiastically support Josh Turek because he has shown he’s a winner in a tough district, and can connect with voters across political lines. He was re-elected by a five-point margin in the “reddest” seat held by a Democrat in all of Iowa—at the same time President Donald Trump carried the state by double digits.
Josh has built his record by listening to Iowans first—and working across differences to get results that matter locally. His likely Republican opponent, U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson, offers a clear contrast. In Washington, she is a partisan politician who votes with her party’s leadership for the president’s national agenda.
Perhaps you’ve seen the campaign video of Josh crawling up flights of stairs—carrying his wheelchair behind him—so he could meet voters face-to-face. He listened. They responded. And they elected him over his GOP opponent. Twice! That’s the kind of performance Democrats need in a statewide race.
Josh calls himself a “prairie populist,” and it fits. He believes government should expand opportunities, not create barriers that make life harder for people to live.
His political hero is former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act—a law that transformed millions of lives, including Josh’s. Harkin’s legacy is rooted in standing up for Iowans and all people, offering a blueprint for the kind of public servant Josh aims to be.
The stakes for Iowa women in this election are not abstract—they are personal, immediate, and real. Because the freedoms Iowa women fought for—and won—should not be something we have to win back. Josh understands what’s at stake—and he will be a champion for Iowa women and families.

Decorah Leader: Turek: a candidate for the moment, by Paul Gardner

Turek’s life story and proven record of beating Republicans convince me he has the best chance of defeating Hinson.
Hinson will be vulnerable in November 2026. But it will take a candidate with exceptional political skills forged from a lifetime full of challenges. As Turek himself says, running for the Senate is not the hardest thing I have done in my life.

The Gazette: I’m a Democrat who is tired of losing, by David Sherwood

The question: Of the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, who has the best chance of beating likely Republican nominee Ashley Hinson? Some polls show Josh Turek neck-in-neck with Hinson in a potential general election contest while his Democratic opponent, Zach Wahls, trails the Republican by 7 points (Newsweek).
Since becoming a Democrat, I’ve noticed many in the party seem to be in a self-destruct mode…Certainly, no one would be happier with a Wahls primary win in June than Ashley Hinson. Democrats, I’m tired of losing. Vote for Josh Turek!

Little Village Mag: Letter from Joe Bolkcom: Josh Turek is our best chance to defeat Ashley Hinson

I am certain Josh Turek has the best chance to win. Here’s why.
Josh’s life has been and still is all about breaking barriers, exceeding expectations, and leading by example. He’s got the grit and resilience Iowans value.
A two-time U.S. Paralympic gold medalist, Josh was inspired by his mentor Senator Tom Harkin. He became a fighter for health care and a state representative.
And just like Harkin, Josh Turek wins tough races. In his 2024 re-election victory, Josh outperformed Harris by 13 points. He did it by listening to and winning over conservative voters.
Here’s the main reason I’m voting Josh Turek in the June 2 Democratic primary: Josh Turek is our best chance to defeat Ashley Hinson and MAGA mania.

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