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Josh Turek
IA · District HD-20
In plain English: Represents a district in the Iowa House of Representatives, the state legislature that writes Iowa law.
Term
2023-01-09 – ?
Next election
2026-11-03General election for OPEN U.S. Senate seat (Iowa) vs. Ashley Hinson (R); Democratic nominee (won primary June 2026)
Running for
U.S. Senate (IA)
Committees
Health and Human Services (standing); Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services; Legislative Council's Health Policy Oversight Committee; Mental Health and Disability Services Commission
Josh Turek (D) is an Iowa State Representative (District 20, Council Bluffs), in office since January 9, 2023; the Iowa legislature's first permanently disabled member. A wheelchair basketball gold medalist at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, he won his 2022 House race by six votes after a recount. He is the Democratic nominee for the open Iowa U.S. Senate seat on November 3, 2026.
Bio source: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?personID=33969
1. Follow the money, in plain English
What we don’t have yet: verified donor records for this leader. Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
Every money claim on this page carries its source and its confidence level; the full item-by-item money record is in the evidence below.
2. What they promised
Each promise is tracked against documented votes and actions. A status is set only from the record; where a promise has not been tested yet, the card says so.
- PROMISENo test yet
"I give each and every Iowa senior my pledge: I will do everything I can to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and expand it to all of you." Also supports lifting the Social Security payroll tax cap ($184,500) so higher earners pay more. Status so far: In 2024 he led the bipartisan "Work without Worry" push to remove Medicaid income limits for employed Iowans with disabilities, and introduced 2024 legislation to drop prescription and in-person visit requirements for Medicaid wheelchair-repair reimbursement; that legislation did not advance in the Senate, and Iowa HHS later removed the requirements administratively. At the Oct 7, 2026 debate he said he favors raising the income cap on Social Security payroll taxes.
- PROMISENo test yet
"Josh is not taking any corporate PAC money, because this campaign is for Iowa and Iowans, not corporations." Senate platform also commits to: ban Members of Congress and spouses from trading stock; ban corporate PAC money; pass the DISCLOSE Act; reverse Citizens United; term limits for Congress and Supreme Court; enforce ethics standards on Supreme Court Justices; paid family and medical leave; public health insurance option.
- PROMISENo test yet
Turek pledged: "I'll sponsor legislation that mandates Congress pass a Farm Bill before recessing."
Verification note: Candidate pledge; pending until he takes office and acts.
- PROMISEIn progress
Turek pledged at the Oct 7 Iowa PBS debate: "Let's get back to diplomacy. I certainly don't want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon, but we have to end this war... one of my primary goals is I'm going to fight to end this war in the U.S. Senate (on) day one."
- PROMISEIn progress
On fuel prices, Turek called for suspending the gas tax, opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and suspending diesel exports. Status so far: On Oct 1, 2026 he urged Iowa's Oct 2 special legislative session to consider a temporary suspension of Iowa's fuel taxes, saying Iowans and farmers were struggling with gas and diesel prices.
- PROMISEIn progress
Pledged to "do the 'full Grassley,'" visiting all 99 Iowa counties every year; said "I have no interest in impeachment" if Democrats take Congress.
3. The evidence
Everything on this page comes from the record below, grouped so you can find things: what they said, what they did, money and influence, and what happened after. Every item carries its date, its source, and the date we last verified it.
Open the full record ↓
What they said
- STATEMENT
Launched the "Rebuild Rural Iowa" plan: mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef/pork, ban on vertical integration in meat processing, fertilizer pricing transparency, water-quality incentives, and pointed to the bipartisan Iowa House right-to-repair bill (HF 2763) as proof of concept: "For too long, politicians in Washington have betrayed Iowa's rural communities, leaving behind the farmers, small businesses, and families they were elected to represent."
- STATEMENT
"Iowans across the political spectrum, what they want more than anything... is they want someone that is going to work hard in a bipartisan manner to provide solutions to people's problems. I want to be a senator for all Iowans, regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum. Republicans, Independents, Democrats." (Republican voter-outreach pitch.)
- STATEMENT
Urged Iowa’s Oct 2 special legislative session to consider a temporary suspension of Iowa’s fuel taxes: "I would love to be able to provide some level of financial assistance to Iowans right now because everywhere I’m going and particularly to farmers right now as they’re going into harvest time, folks are really struggling with gas prices and diesel prices." He also asked whether eminent domain would be used for the steel-mill project and what guardrails would govern the tax breaks. (Quotes via Star 106; session coverage via CNN.)
- ALLEGATION
Campaign ad claims: "Gas and diesel prices have risen more here than almost any other state in the country. We are all paying the price... Ashley Hinson has voted over and over for policies that have jacked up prices, while she gets richer and richer." (Campaign allegation, not an independent finding.)
- STATEMENT
In the same Register questionnaire, Turek said: 'Tariffs are a useful tool to protect American manufacturing, jobs and markets, but the blanket tariffs that Ashley Hinson has repeatedly backed are chaotic, leading to unstable markets for farmers and increased costs to small businesses.' He also backed nationwide year-round E15, Right to Repair, and mandatory country-of-origin labeling.
Verification note: Quotes verified via search-index excerpt of the article; direct fetch blocked by domain policy.
- FACT
Turek's campaign ad claim that Hinson "voted seven times to continue the war" is precisely substantiated by IA Fact Check's Sept 6 audit: seven 2026 House roll calls (85, 114, 170, 199, 201, 232, 282) on Iran/Lebanon War Powers resolutions, with the Clerk recording Hinson Nay on all seven. The audit notes "voted for the war" is political shorthand for Nays on withdrawal resolutions.
- STATEMENT
Said Iowans want lawmakers who will "provide solutions to people's problems through bipartisan policy." He tied Hinson to Medicaid cuts and said Iowa is "basically dead last" in physician retention.
Verification note: The physician-retention ranking claim is Turek's; not independently verified here.
- STATEMENT
Counterattack claims: Hinson missed 193 House votes, voted for healthcare cuts amid Iowa's health crisis, and took about $50,000 in federal per diem ($178/day) as a "multimillionaire."
Verification note: Turek's claims at the debate; competing missed-vote figures (193 vs "more than 150") and the per-diem figure not independently verified here. Competing claims were checked by KCRG (2026-08-26; see sources).
- ALLEGATION
Accused Hinson's husband of arranging meetings between lobbyists and lawmakers, including Hinson: "This is the corruption that we have to address." Hinson denied it.
Verification note: Recorded as Turek's allegation; the underlying claim is unverified by WWF.
- FACT
First head-to-head debate vs Ashley Hinson aired on Iowa PBS ("Iowa Press"); Libertarian Thomas Laehn was excluded. Second debate set for Oct 13, 9 p.m. CT on WHO-13/Nexstar.
- FACT
Suffolk (Oct 1-4, MOE 4.4): Turek 48, Hinson 44 (USA Today Oct 7); CNN (released Oct 8, MOE 4.2): Hinson 45, Turek 43 (Political Wire Oct 8). Cook and Sabato rate the race a toss-up; RCP average Oct 7: Turek +1.0.
Verification note: Poll data, not a forecast.
- FACT
PolitiFact fact-checked the Oct 7 debate: Turek's claim that Hinson voted for "110,000 Iowans to lose their healthcare" overstates KFF's estimate of about 80,000 losing coverage from direct OBBBA changes by 2034; the 110,000 figure bundles in the separate expiration of enhanced ACA premium subsidies. Hinson's counterclaim that repeal would restore Medicaid to undocumented immigrants is false; they were already largely barred.
Verification note: Methodology is PolitiFact's and KFF's, not WWF's.
- FACT
Emerson/Nexstar poll (released Oct 9): Hinson 47, Turek 45.
Verification note: Poll data, not a forecast.
- STATEMENT
Turek ruled out impeachment at the Oct 7 debate: "I have no interest in looking at impeachment. I think that we need to look forward, not back. My full intention is to go out there and work on policy that is going to benefit everyday Iowans."
- STATEMENT
On Social Security at the Oct 7 debate, Turek said he favors raising the income cap on Social Security payroll taxes as a starting point, calling Social Security "one of the greatest examples of a successful social safety net in this country."
- STATEMENT
At the Oct 7 debate Turek said he broke with his own party in 2024 to support a bill that would allow state courts to deport undocumented immigrants who have re-entered the country illegally. (His claim; unverified by WWF.)
- STATEMENT
Turek's campaign newsletter (circa Oct 10) says MAGA-aligned spending in Iowa "will officially reach $100 million," that Donald Trump is planning a visit to Iowa, and that the campaign's final FEC deadline is Oct 14. (Campaign-sourced claims.)
- STATEMENT
USA Today reported (Oct 11) that Turek is among swing-state Democrats declining campaign help from Kamala Harris, alongside Rob Sand, Mary Peltola, Adam Hamilton, and Rebecca Cooke. (Reported fact, single source; not a leader utterance.)
- STATEMENT
In a debate-preview platform summary, Turek committed to Medicaid restoration, prescription-drug price caps, rural mental-health investment, an end to surprise medical bills, first-time-homebuyer tax cuts, limits on private-equity home purchases, mandatory country-of-origin labeling, Right to Repair, eminent-domain limits, reinstating Roe, protecting contraception and IVF, NIH and cancer-research funding, a citizenship pathway, and curbs on ICE abuses.
Verification note: Consolidated dated platform commitments as summarized by the outlet.
- STATEMENT
Turek agreed with Hinson in opposing the reported Russian diesel deal, saying high prices should not come "at the expense of benefiting the economy of someone like Vladimir Putin who we clearly cannot trust."
- STATEMENT
On the Iran war, Turek claimed Hinson "voted in favor of continuing [the Iran war] seven times" and blamed the war for Iowa gas and diesel prices rising.
Verification note: "Seven times" is Turek's claim; the Register corroborates only the general point that she voted against war-powers resolutions. Do not treat the count as verified fact without a vote-count check.
- STATEMENT
Turek acknowledged missing Iowa House votes because he was campaigning ("I'm out campaigning... all 99 counties... hundreds of in-person town halls") and said Hinson has held no in-person town halls since running for Senate. He described his record as "one of the most bipartisan, one of the most effective members of the Iowa Legislature" with 90%+ attendance in his first three years.
- STATEMENT
On Social Security, Turek said the solvency fix is lifting the cap on Social Security payroll taxes and accused Hinson of reversing her earlier openness to raising the retirement age.
- STATEMENT
Turek repeated his opposition to transgender women competing in women's sports, saying biological males should not compete in female sports, while adding the issue should be decided by sports governing bodies rather than government to avoid 50 different standards.
- STATEMENT
Turek defended missing 261 Iowa House votes (Jan 12 to May 3, 2026, about 58%) by saying "I'm out campaigning," the first direct on-record admission that campaigning is the reason. Hinson countered that Turek showed up "42% of the time," cited her own 98.8% lifetime voting record and 47 in-person plus 30+ telephone town halls; Turek noted Hinson missed 193 votes over her whole Congressional tenure, and cited 90%+ attendance in his first three years in the Iowa House.
Verification note: The 193 figure is Hinson's campaign's; her campaign clarified those were lifetime vs. Turek's 261 in one session. Vote counts are campaign claims as reported.
- STATEMENT
Agreed with Hinson in opposing Trump's diesel deal with Putin ("I don't think it should be at the expense of benefiting the economy of someone like Vladimir Putin who we clearly cannot trust"); called for suspending the gas tax, opening the strategic oil reserves, and suspending diesel exports; blamed the Iran war for high prices.
- STATEMENT
Charged that Hinson "voted seven times to continue" the "unnecessary war in Iran" and said a "corruption crisis" is driving the affordability crisis.
- STATEMENT
Laid out a jobs plan: expand Head Start for infants and toddlers, end tariffs ("tariffs cost Iowa families $2,400 a year"), ban hedge funds from buying family homes, and expand career and technical education and the Child Care Tax Credit; her first-year jobs bill would repeal Medicaid cuts that she said have "risked closing hospitals and clinics."
Verification note: Tariff-cost and hospital-claim figures are her claims, not WWF-verified.
- STATEMENT
On data centers, said Iowa communities "should make that decision"; her energy plan would crack down on utility monopolies and expand clean energy. She claimed Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks's clean-energy votes will raise Iowa utility bills $345 a year.
Verification note: The $345 figure is her claim, not WWF-verified.
- FACT
Bohannan raised $2.4M in Q3 vs. Miller-Meeks's $1.7M, and leads in cash on hand; Cook rates the race Lean Democrat.
Verification note: Reported totals, not an independent FEC pull.
- STATEMENT
Posting from Gene and Jesse's farm in Fayette County, Turek wrote: "it's just been one gut punch after another. Ashley Hinson has voted over and over again for policies hurting our farmers and rural communities, from chaotic tariffs to now a reckless war that's driving up the cost of fertilizer and diesel. We need to end the forever wars and put our Iowa farmers first."
- FACT
PolitiFact's review of the final Hinson-Turek debate: Turek missed 261 of 445 Iowa House floor votes; the claim that Hinson's husband is a "shadow lobbyist" is misleading.
Verification note: As summarized by the Daily Letter; the full PolitiFact article is paywalled.
- FACT
Turek won the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat, defeating state Sen. Zach Wahls about 63% to 37% (unofficial results), confirming him as the Democratic nominee against Republican Ashley Hinson on Nov 3. Hinson won the GOP primary with about 75% against Jim Carlin. The WWF profile listing "Turek (D-IA)" names the correct candidate.
- STATEMENT
On the Iran war: tied the war to Iowa gas, diesel, and fertilizer costs. On fuel: proposed suspending federal and state gas taxes, opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and suspending diesel exports; opposed the Russian diesel deal ("I don't think it should be at the expense of benefiting the economy of someone like a Vladimir Putin"). On Social Security: advocated lifting the payroll-tax cap (currently the first $184,500 of wages). On taxes: "That is absolutely, fundamentally incorrect. Actually, in the Iowa Legislature, I voted with Republicans to reduce people's taxes." On borders: "I believe that we need to have safe and secure borders... and I'm willing to work with anyone, including President Trump, on this issue."
- STATEMENT
Proposed a temporary federal gas-tax suspension, a ban on diesel exports, tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower fuel costs, and immediate repeal of Trump-era tariffs. Hinson warned gas-tax suspensions hurt road and bridge funding.
What they did
- DATA UNAVAILABLE
Individual Iowa House roll-call votes not yet collected from official Iowa Legislature records (Iowa House journals); will be backfilled
- VOTE
Iowa special-session steel-plant incentives: $1.4B Mesabi Metallics tax incentives Yea on passage (approved)
- FACT
Co-sponsored HF 2763, farm-equipment right-to-repair bill; passed the Iowa House 70–18 but did not advance to the state senate. co-sponsor
Verification note: Draft cites Des Moines Register; URL not captured in draft; see research file
- FACT
Led the bipartisan "Work without Worry" push removing Medicaid income limits for employed Iowans with disabilities; introduced 2024 legislation to drop prescription and in-person visit requirements for Medicaid wheelchair-repair reimbursement (stalled in Senate; Iowa HHS removed the requirements administratively). led push
Verification note: Secondary source
Money and influence
- DATA UNAVAILABLE
Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
- FACT
Reported endorsements in the 2026 Senate primary (reported, not official disclosures): Nathan Sage and J.D. Scholten (after dropping his own Senate bid) endorsed Turek.
- FACT
Former SSA administrator Martin O'Malley appeared with Turek at a September 2026 Social Security event in Des Moines.
What happened after
- OUTCOME
HF 2763, farm-equipment right-to-repair bill Turek co-sponsored, passed the Iowa House 70–18 but did not advance to the state senate. Status: legislative outcome (not a personal vote)
Verification note: URL not captured in draft
None documented (checked 2026-09-30). No ethics inquiries, investigations, censures, recalls, or lawsuits with official standing found.
Sources
- Iowa Legislature: legislator page
- FEC Statement of Candidacy (S6IA00298)
- Wikipedia: Josh Turek
- Des Moines Register: Hinson, Turek, Laehn on Iran and tariffs (2026-10-05)
- DM Register: Hinson-Turek debate recap, 2026-10-08
- CNN: Iowa Senate debate takeaways, 2026-10-07
- PolitiFact: Oct 7 debate fact check, 2026-10-08
- Political Wire: Emerson/Nexstar poll Hinson 47, Turek 45, 2026-10-09
- Radio Iowa: Hinson-Turek debate recap (2026-10-09)
- Iowa Public Radio: Hinson-Turek debate coverage (2026-10-08)
- USA Today: midterm campaign trail (2026-10-11)
Evidence
Related receipts
No receipts filed for this leader yet.
Every factual item carries its source, date, and last-verified stamp. Items marked unavailable are genuinely missing. Never filled in.