State Representative Josh Turek is a four-time Paralympian and two-time gold medalist for Team USA, a former professional wheelchair basketball player and a candidate for U.S. Senate.
As the Olympics come to a close and the Paralympics begin in early March, I’m sure a lot of us are thinking about what it means to cheer for Team USA.
Representing the United States at four Paralympic games was the highlight of my wheelchair basketball career, and one of the greatest honors of my life. Watching them raise the American flag with USA across my chest, a gold medal around my neck, and the stars and stripes over my shoulders, I was proud to be an American.
This Olympics, I know many Americans are troubled by the direction of our country.
The strongest, wealthiest nation in the world should not be one where millions of people are losing their health care and food assistance while billionaires get tax breaks. It should not be one where a government agency is inflicting fear and violence on American communities with no accountability. It should not be one that doesn’t protect women’s bodily autonomy. It should not be one where policymakers are more interested in looking for the next big check than looking out for the little guy.
Iowa, a state that was once number 1 in public education, one of the first states to recognize gay marriage, the first state to admit women to the bar, is now 50th in the country for economic growth and home to one of the nation’s most extreme abortion bans. The only things we’re #1 in are farm foreclosures and cancer rates.
Many of us are searching for the greatness in that.
I’m running to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate to fight for an America we can be proud to cheer for.
I didn’t plan to have a life in politics. I first ran for the Iowa House of Representatives after seeing the impact of Iowa’s privatized Medicaid system. I was working as an assistive technology professional, helping assess and provide mobility devices to individuals with disabilities. Since Iowa had privatized Medicaid, we saw a 1,000 percent increase in denial and delay rates. This wasn’t happenstance, it wasn’t just failed bureaucracy: it was a direct result of a policy that sought to profit off the most vulnerable in our society.
That’s not what Iowa, or what America, is all about.
Now, I’m running for Senate because we need more people in Washington from places like Council Bluffs, Iowa, who understand what it’s like to go to the Goodwill for clothes and have the wrong color lunch ticket, people who have had to navigate our country’s broken health care system, so they understand what it means to cut health care for millions of working class Americans just give tax breaks to billionaires.
Securing a Senate Democratic Majority is one of the best ways to reverse the actions that have disappointed so many of us. That majority runs through Iowa, and as the Democrat that represents the reddest seat in Iowa won in 2024, I know what it takes to win the votes we’ll need to win statewide. Flipping this seat won’t be easy, but neither was winning gold medals.
The Olympics and Paralympics offer an opportunity for Americans of different races, religions, political parties, and geographies to have one thing in common and remind us that we’re all on the same team. We can celebrate our Olympic and Paralympic athletes while also fighting for an America we’re proud to cheer for. By electing candidates that reflect the best of America, we can be proud of both our athletes and our representatives.
5 Comments
cheering for people because of geographical happenstance
instead of for their efforts is part of the same tribal psychology that is being used to fuel the ethnic cleansing we are undergoing. I’m sure that it’s a kind of necessary evil in our elections to fly the various flags for people to salute, and think Iowa would be much better off with a senator who understands and foregrounds the class war which is undermining our attempts to build the world’s first multi-ethnic democracy, so carry on but please tread lightly around jingoism.
dirkiniowacity Sat 21 Feb 7:03 PM
Not One of Those Times
I’m undecided about who to vote for in the 2026 Democratic primary for U.S. Senator.
Josh Turek is a good man who could earn my vote to represent Iowa in Washington, D.C.
In this moment, however, I encourage him to ask Nathan Sage to apologize for his unnecessarily harsh comments about Zach Wahls when he endorsed Turek.
Sage has the right to say what he chooses, of course. It’s not even important if he chose to apologize. But it is important for Turek to ask for a more constructive tone among his supporters in the Democratic primary race.
I don’t want Ashley Hinton to be our next U.S. Senator. It’s going to take an historic coming together of Democrats and others to defeat her. Sage just created an unnecessary distraction. Maybe even serving up a helpful future soundbite for Republicans.
I get that blunt rhetoric is today’s social media shorthand to signal voters that you live among them. Yet I believe what voters really seek are serious proposals about how to make their lives better. To make the economic system fairer for everyone.
Enough of the performative politics that’s exhausting us and making our country weaker. Turek would gain respect and support among Iowa voters by telling Nathan Sage he was wrong.
I know “politics ain’t beanbag.” Contrasts have to be made and charges forcefully answered at times. Sage’s endorsement of Turek was not one of those times.
As Turek’s life story teaches us, toughness is far more about your actions than your words.
Bill Bumgarner Sun 22 Feb 2:45 PM
Bill makes some good points
I, too, was disappointed that Nathan Sage thought he had to trash Zach Wahls. And like Bill, I have not decided yet who to support for the Democratic nomination. I went to a Zach Wahls meeting in Marion last week. He was certainly saying the rights things, in my opinion. But I want to know how he is being received in rural Iowa.
I have not had a chance to be at a Josh Turek meeting. But issues are important to me. So I went to the Turek website. I did not see even a hint of a discussion of issues. I am also concerned about his constantly dropping Tom Harkin’s name. I don’t think Tom has endorsed him. If I’m wrong on that, please correct me.
I hope there can be some forums (I won’t call them debates) with Zach and Josh before the election.
Wally Taylor Mon 23 Feb 8:35 AM
No title
Yes, Mr. Taylor, Tom Harkin has endorsed Josh Turek for Senate at least as early as April 2025.
No, Mr. Bumgarner, Mr. Sage should not make an issue even worse by trying to undo comments that are rather common knowledge.
Now, let’s draw a bead on this Hinson character.
MantenoLorax Wed 25 Feb 9:14 AM
Issues used to be my biggest concern...
…but not now. I will be looking for any and all information about which candidate would have the best chance of beating Ashley Hinson. I’m willing to vote for that candidate even if the other candidate is better on the issues I most care about. That is what the last twenty years of living in Iowa have done to my priorities. I’m not happy about it.
PrairieFan Wed 25 Feb 2:40 PM