Turek at Iowa State Fair: Costs, Corruption, and Bipartisanship

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Josh Turek brought his message of tackling costs, corruption, and kitchen table issues to the Iowa State Fair Political Soapbox on Thursday, drawing a crowd of fairgoers eager to hear his vision for the state and nation.

The state representative and former gold medal-winning Paralympian spoke for about 12 minutes at the Des Moines Register's iconic soapbox, making him the first candidate to take the stage at the 2026 fair. He was followed by Des Moines folk musician Chip Albright, who performed a song titled If It's Turek, That's Terrific.

What did Turek say about rising costs?

Turek opened his remarks by asking the audience a simple question: how many are paying more for groceries, gas, and insurance? The response, he said, reflects what he hears across the state.

Everywhere I'm going, I'm hearing the same thing, he said. Regardless of whether it's an urban area or a rural area, Iowans are telling me, 'I'm struggling. I'm struggling just to keep a roof above my head, food on the table, and now with this war in Iran struggling just to keep gas in my tank.' By every single metric, this state is going in the wrong direction.

After his speech, Turek outlined his first-year priorities for lowering costs if elected to the U.S. Senate.

He pointed to ending the war in Iran as a key step to easing financial pressure on families. He also called for new guardrails on the insurance industry, arguing that doctors should make medical decisions rather than insurance companies. Additionally, Turek said he wants to combat high grocery prices and supports outlawing price gouging in housing.

How does Turek plan to fight corruption?

Turek made clear that tackling corruption in Washington is a central pillar of his campaign. He called for overhauling campaign finance laws and implementing new ethics rules for members of Congress and the Supreme Court.

I say all the time, we can have oligarchy or we can have democracy, but we cannot have both, Turek said. Right now, what we have is outsize influence from billionaires and large corporations that are buying off the political process.

His proposals include overturning the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which opened the door to increased outside spending in elections, and passing the DISCLOSE Act to boost transparency in political spending. He also supports term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court.

Turek added that he would fight to require every member of Congress to host at least one annual town hall.

Members of Congress should be accountable to their constituents, to the people, not just to the billionaires, donors, and lobbyists, he said.

Can Turek work across party lines?

Turek, who won two gold medals in wheelchair basketball representing the United States in the Paralympics, said that experience shaped his approach to governance.

What I learned representing my country in the Paralympics was it's not about the back of the jersey, it's about the front of the jersey. It said USA across the front, he said. I never viewed this through a tribalistic idea of whether it's a Republican idea or a Democratic idea. This is about what is best for the people.

He pointed to his record in the Iowa Legislature as evidence of his bipartisan approach, noting that he voted with Republicans over 700 times and has been ranked among the most bipartisan and effective members of the legislature.

That is exactly what I will do in D.C., Turek said.

Turek's appearance at the fair comes as Iowa's U.S. Senate race heats up, with both parties vying for the support of the state's 3.2 million residents. His focus on costs, corruption, and bipartisanship reflects an effort to appeal to a broad swath of Iowa voters concerned about economic pressures and government accountability.

As the campaign season progresses, Iowans will be watching closely to see how Turek's message resonates beyond the fairgrounds and into the voting booth.