Democrats at Polk County Steak Fry push term limits, back Turek for Senate
Nearly 700 Iowans gathered at Des Moines Water Works Park on Saturday for the 2026 Polk County Steak Fry, where national Democratic lawmakers endorsed Josh Turek for U.S. Senate and called for term limits on Supreme Court justices and members of Congress.
Headliners U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland joined 10 current legislators and candidates at the event, which serves as a key stop for Iowa Democrats ahead of the November election.
Whitehouse: Turek reminds me of Tom Harkin
Whitehouse, the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said he saw echoes of former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin in Turek's campaign.
“I would say I was an early believer in Josh's race. I served in the Senate with Tom Harkin. I know what Iowa can deliver because I saw Tom Harkin in action,” Whitehouse said. “And when I took a look at Josh, I saw a lot of Tom Harkin in him. So please send Josh to the Senate.”
Whitehouse argued that electing Turek would put a check on the Trump administration, address Supreme Court issues, and get dark money out of elections. He outlined three priorities: eliminating dark money in politics, pushing back on fossil fuel industry influence, and cleaning up the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court needs a proper ethics program with real fact-finding, Whitehouse said, adding there should be no exception for the nine justices. He also endorsed retroactive term limits.
“Those are the things we can do if you send Josh Turek to the Senate,” Whitehouse said. “That will change America. Josh is the right guy.”
Turek: Iowans have hit the bottom
Turek took the stage to a standing ovation with hundreds of supporters waving signs. He emphasized that Iowans across the state are struggling to afford food, housing, electricity, and healthcare. He pointed to declining educational outcomes, record farm bankruptcies tied to tariffs and war, rising cancer diagnoses, and ongoing water quality concerns.
“And really, Iowa, we have hit the bottom,” Turek said. “This is not the state that we know. This is not the state we grew up in.”
Turek criticized his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, for her voting record on healthcare and food program cuts, tariff support, and tax breaks for billionaires.
“This is not what Iowans want. Iowans want to have a senator that is going to fight for them,” Turek said. “Fight for Iowa. Fight for Iowans. Fight for the middle class. Fight for our workers. Not just look out for the billionaires and the large corporations.”
Turek also voiced support for term limits and said winning the seat could flip the Senate.
“If we can win this seat, we will not only make a generational change to this state, we will be able to flip the Senate, and we're going to be able to change this country,” Turek said. “All of us together, we're going to do it.”
Raskin: Constitution under attack
Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, also endorsed Turek. He gained national attention as lead impeachment manager during Donald Trump's second impeachment trial and served on the January 6th Committee.
Raskin received a standing ovation and joked about his first trip to Iowa: “Been here for 17 days and in the state longer than Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn.” He said Iowans can tip the House and Senate back toward democracy and freedom.
Raskin invoked Abraham Lincoln and said the November election will test the proposition of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. He claimed the Constitution, the preamble, and separation of church and state are all under attack.
He also made controversial remarks about federal agents, saying, “It's gotten so bad that Donald Trump's masked paramilitary soldiers are shooting down American citizens exercising their First and Second Amendment rights in the streets of America,” and promised justice for cases in states such as Minnesota.
Sand calls for common sense and conversations
Gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand said politics should be about making state government work for ordinary people, not a small group with too much power for too long. He supported term limit legislation at both the federal and state levels.
Sand said two things are missing in Iowa: common sense and conversations. He highlighted his town halls as a way to listen and discuss solutions that bring people together.
“That's what I want us to get back to in the Capitol building. Common sense, listening to each other, being willing to recognize when even the person that's mostly wrong actually has a point to make. We are having none of that in Des Moines,” Sand said.
Sand noted that over 100 Republicans have endorsed his campaign, including current elected officials, because Iowans are fed up with the state's direction.
“Let's remake this state and turn it back into an Iowa that is not about being redder or bluer, but one about being better and truer,” Sand said.
Trone Garriott backs term limits in 3rd District race
Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, running in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, also cited support for term limits. She said she filed a term limits bill in the Iowa Senate that many colleagues opposed.
“We can see that things are not working. We need new voices and new perspectives coming up through the process. And so, we need to find a way to make sure that we can have those new perspectives and new leadership that we need to lead us in a better direction. I will do that in Washington,” she said.
The event underscores the Democratic push in Iowa this cycle, with candidates rallying around term limits and criticizing Republican leadership on economic and agricultural issues.