ICYMI: Nathan Sage Endorses Josh Turek After Exiting Iowa’s U.S. Senate Race

ICYMI: Nathan Sage Endorses Josh Turek After Exiting Iowa’s U.S. Senate Race

Sage praised Turek’s commitment to fighting for Iowans and their shared experience growing up in working class families 

Des Moines, IA – In case you missed it, Nathan Sage endorsed Josh Turek 24 hours after exiting the race for Iowa’s U.S. Senate Seat. Nathan joins Rep. J.D. Scholten as the second former candidate in this race to coalesce around Josh, evidence of mounting support and momentum behind his campaign. 

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Something might be happening in Iowa.

Despite its reputation as a solidly Republican state, Iowa is increasingly coming up in conversations of Senate races to watch this year. And that glimmer of optimism is playing out in the fight for the Democratic nomination, which saw a significant shift Monday evening, with one of three contenders announcing he was stepping aside and endorsing state Rep. Josh Turek, a paralympian gold medalist and state lawmaker.

The Des Moines Register: Nathan Sage endorses Josh Turek in Iowa’s Democratic US Senate race

“He earned my trust,” Sage said in a joint interview with Turek. “And in Iowa you’ve got to trust your politicians, you’ve got to trust people to believe in them, you’ve got to trust them to vote for them. And I trust Josh Turek 100% that he’s here to fight for people, he’s here to properly represent people.”

“You look at Josh and you go his family’s a working-class family. He comes from the same background that I come from. His dad’s a veteran. He gets it. He understands what struggle really is in this world,” Sage said.

The Gazette: Former candidate Sage endorses Turek, criticizes Wahls in Iowa Democrats’ U.S. Senate primary

“[T[o be honest, it was actually easy,” Sage said. “Josh is a real person. We had a real conversation. … It was very easy to connect with Josh. It was very easy to understand Josh.

Turek and Sage said they believe voters respond to their respective personal stories and history with struggles: Sage growing up in a trailer park and losing both parents to cancer, and Turek living with disability. The two said they believe those stories resonate and create a connection with voters, who they say are looking for a candidate with whom they can identify and trust.

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“I truly believe the only way we can ever get this country back to where it needs to be is people need to know what that is like — what it’s like when you don’t have food on your table, what it’s like when you can’t put gas in your car, when you’re standing at the register and you’re hoping that it says ‘accepted,’” Sage said. “That’s the world for a lot of people in this room, a lot of people in the state and a lot of people in the country and Josh Turek gets it.”

“He’s been fighting his whole life just like I have been fighting so when it came to endorsing Josh, it was like hell, yes,” Sage added.

The Globe Gazette: In Mason City, native son Nathan Sage endorses Josh Turek, criticizes Wahls for US Senate

In the end, Sage endorsed Turek, saying, “He struggled is in his life to get to where he is. Most of us in this room have struggled, and I truly believe the only way you can ever get anywhere is people need to know what that is like when you don’t have food on your table, what it’s like when you can’t put gas in your car, when you’re when you’re standing at the register and you’re hoping that it says, accept it. That’s the world for a lot of people in this room.”