Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs is campaigning across Iowa for the U.S. Senate in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing Republican nominee Ashley Hinson and Libertarian Thomas Laehn for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, has built his campaign around health care costs, wages, housing, and clean water, but his Iowa House attendance record has become a flashpoint in the race.
The Hindustan Times profiled Turek on October 25, 2026, detailing his rise from a working-class Council Bluffs family to a national political stage. No Democratic Senate candidate has won in Iowa since 2008, a hurdle The Athletic noted in its own reporting on the race.
From Wheelchair Basketball to the Statehouse
Turek was born with spina bifida and underwent 21 surgeries before age 12. He has linked his condition to his father's exposure to Agent Orange during Navy service in the Vietnam War. He took up wheelchair basketball in seventh grade, became the all-time leading scorer at Southwest Minnesota State University, and won two Paralympic gold medals for the United States before retiring from the sport in 2022.
That year he won his first race for the Iowa House in District 20 by just six votes. He was re-elected in 2024 and won the Democratic Senate nomination in June 2026, defeating state Sen. Zach Wahls in a primary marked by disputes over outside spending.
Missing Votes: Hinson's Central Attack
Hinson, the former broadcast journalist and Republican nominee, has hammered Turek for missing 261 of 445 floor votes during the 2026 legislative session, nearly 58% and the second-highest absence rate in the Iowa House. She singled out his missed votes on issues affecting farmers and rural communities, including the Iowa Farm Bill.
Turek's defense: he was traveling to all 99 counties to meet voters, and his attendance in earlier sessions was considerably better. Hinson's campaign has also criticized his positions on tariffs and the U.S. conflict with Iran, which Turek says has driven up gas and diesel prices for Iowa households. In an October 2026 post on X, he accused Hinson of voting seven times to continue the war.
Policy Positions Iowa Voters Should Know
Turek backs a public health insurance option, protections for the Affordable Care Act, and restored Medicaid funding. In the Legislature he sponsored a bill to cap insulin at $25 per month and wrote the law making it easier for Medicaid recipients to repair wheelchairs and mobility devices.
He supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and stronger union rights. On immigration, he has called for bipartisan reform that strengthens border security while creating a path to citizenship, along with deporting illegal entrants who commit crimes.
For farmers, Turek has called for mandatory country-of-origin labeling and tougher antitrust enforcement in agribusiness and meatpacking. He has sharply criticized Trump administration trade and tariff policies, arguing they have hurt Iowa producers, and has attacked Hinson for supporting them.
On energy and technology, Turek wants stricter regulations on data centers and artificial intelligence. He has argued that tech companies should not receive tax breaks while their operations raise electricity costs for ordinary consumers, and he has pressed data centers to reduce water consumption. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has promoted his framing of data center opposition as holding large corporations accountable.
Primary Fight and Personal Finances
During the primary, Wahls accused Turek of benefiting from heavy independent spending by VoteVets, arguing national groups had too much influence. Turek said the group acted on its own and his campaign did not coordinate with it.
According to a 2025 report by Congress Stock Tracker, Turek has an estimated net worth of $91,000, with assets between $52,000 and $130,000 and no listed liabilities.
What's at Stake on November 3
The winner succeeds Ernst, who has held the seat since 2015 and is not seeking re-election, as FOX 9 reported in its rundown of the race. Iowa Republicans see Hinson as the favorite in a state that has trended red, while Turek is counting on his personal story and retail campaigning to pull off the upset no Democrat has managed in a Senate race here in nearly two decades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Josh Turek?
He is a Democratic state representative from Council Bluffs, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa in 2026.
Why is his attendance record controversial?
Republican nominee Ashley Hinson says he missed 261 of 445 floor votes in the 2026 legislative session, nearly 58%, the second-highest absence rate in the Iowa House. Turek says he was campaigning in all 99 counties.
When is the Iowa Senate election?
The general election is November 3, 2026, with Turek facing Republican Ashley Hinson and Libertarian Thomas Laehn.