ICYMI: Josh Turek Talks Kitchen Table Issues, Senate Campaign on MeidasTouch Podcast

Ben Meisalas: Turek’s election to the legislature is “a blueprint for what [he] can do nationwide”

Council Bluffs, IA – Yesterday, two-time Paralympic gold medalist and Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek joined the MeidasTouch podcast to talk about his campaign for U.S. Senate, winning the reddest seat held by a Democrat in Iowa, and running on kitchen table issues.

WATCH THE PODCAST HERE

Ben Meisalas:

“Well, Josh, tell us first about how you won in that area, because it does provide — pun intended — a blueprint for what you can do nationwide. So how’d you do it? How’d you win that house seat?”

Josh Turek:

“The blueprint is hard work, grit, determination […] I went out every single day from June all the way until November, crawling those stairs, knocking doors, dragging my wheelchair up, having face to face conversations with — it did not matter the party — with Republicans, with independents, with Democrats. I was out there as a common sense prairie populist […] going out there and talking about the kitchen table issues.

“I would always hear two things when I would get up on people’s doors. The very first thing they would say is, how in the world did you get up here? And I would say, I crawled up here. I drug my wheelchair up here. That’s how important it is to have a conversation with you. And then I would tell them about my story and why I’m running on kitchen table issues. And by the end, they would say, ‘You know, I’m not going to vote for every Democrat, but I’m going to vote for you because I like the kind of Democrat that you are.’

“All around Iowa, I can feel it everywhere we go — people are waking up. People have seen the video of Joni, the “let them eat cake,” “Well, we’re all gonna die,” to cut healthcare and food assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable.

“[…] But everywhere I go, and this is in the urban areas, in the rural areas, we are getting turnout that we have just not seen ever in my involvement in politics.

“I just did an event out in Harlan, Iowa, which is about as red as it can possibly get, packed house, standing room only, of lots of people saying […] ‘I voted for Trump. I voted for Joni. But enough of this, enough of the naked corruption, enough of cutting social safety nets and health care and food assistance to the most vulnerable.’

“We need change, and we need somebody that understands this, the plight of working class people, and is going to go out there and fight for the kitchen table issues and fight for the working class.”