The Council Bluffs state lawmaker is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist whose campaign focused on health care costs, Iowa farmers and government ethics. His victory helped Democrats win control of the U.S. Senate.
By Hola America News
Unofficial election results as of November 4, 2026, at 2:32 p.m. CT. Vote totals may change before certification.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Democrat Josh Turek won Iowa’s U.S. Senate election on November 3, defeating Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and flipping a seat held by Republicans since 2015. The Associated Press projected Turek’s victory in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.
With approximately 98.7% reporting, the Associated Press preliminary results showed:
- Josh Turek, Democrat: 686,487 votes (50.51%).
- Ashley Hinson, Republican: 630,615 votes (46.40%).
- Thomas Laehn, Libertarian: 42,086 votes (3.10%).
Turek led Hinson by 55,872 votes in that count. Hinson conceded the race and congratulated her opponent, according to Fox News.
Iowa will have its first Democratic U.S. senator since 2015
Ernst was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, succeeding Democrat Tom Harkin, who retired after 30 years in office. Ernst won reelection in 2020 but decided not to seek a third term in 2026.
Her departure created an open-seat contest between Turek, Hinson and Laehn. Hinson entered the race after representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Turek will be the first Democrat to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate since Harkin left office in January 2015. Harkin was also the last Democrat elected to a Senate seat from Iowa, winning his final term in 2008.
Turek’s victory contributed to the Democratic Party’s national Senate majority, according to the Associated Press.
The result represents a significant political shift in a state that President Donald Trump carried by more than 13 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
Josh Turek won his first Iowa House election by six votes
Born in Council Bluffs in 1979, Turek graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School before earning a bachelor’s degree from Southwest Minnesota State University and a master’s degree from DeVry University.
He was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2022, narrowly defeating Republican Sarah Abdouch by six votes after a recount. He won reelection in 2024 by a wider margin.
Turek has represented Iowa House District 20, which includes part of the Council Bluffs area in Pottawattamie County.
His legislative work has included health care, veterans’ issues, economic policy and disability rights.
Related: Iowa Primary Results Set Governor, Senate and House Races for November.
Turek represented Team USA at four Paralympic Games
Turek was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. Before entering politics, he built an international career in wheelchair basketball.
He represented the United States at four Paralympic Games: Athens 2004, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
According to Team USA, Turek earned a bronze medal in London and won gold medals with the U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team in Rio and Tokyo. The Tokyo Games took place in 2021 after being postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his college career at Southwest Minnesota State University, Turek scored a school-record 4,024 points. He later played professionally overseas and was inducted into the university’s Athletics Hall of Honor in 2022.
Turek has credited former Sen. Harkin’s advocacy for the Americans with Disabilities Act with helping expand opportunities for people with disabilities. During his election-night celebration, he invited Harkin to join him onstage.
Turek proposes Medicaid protections and lower prescription drug costs
Health care affordability was a central issue in Turek’s Senate campaign. He criticized federal policies that he argued could reduce access to coverage and pledged to protect Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.
His campaign platform includes proposals to:
- Restore Medicaid funding and protect Affordable Care Act subsidies.
- Introduce a public health insurance option.
- Lower prescription drug prices and strengthen oversight of pharmacy benefit managers.
- Support rural hospitals and expand access to telehealth and mental health services.
- Improve access to health care for people with disabilities.
Turek also campaigned in support of federal protections for reproductive rights, including abortion access.
These are proposals, not changes that automatically take effect because Turek won the election. Federal health care legislation would require action by Congress and, in most cases, the president.
Farm equipment repairs and congressional stock trading are also priorities
Turek’s economic proposals focus on working families, agriculture and government accountability.
He criticized tariffs that he argued were harming Iowa farmers. His campaign called for a federal right-to-repair law that would allow farmers to fix their own equipment, stronger competition rules for agribusinesses and country-of-origin labeling requirements for certain agricultural products.
On household expenses, Turek proposed measures addressing food prices, housing affordability and the federal minimum wage.
His government ethics proposals include banning stock trading by members of Congress and their spouses, restricting corporate political contributions and increasing transparency in campaign financing.
All these measures would require further legislative action. Turek cannot enact them independently as a senator.
A federal Senate victory does not change Iowa’s ESA rules
As a U.S. senator, Turek will represent Iowa in Congress alongside Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Each state has two U.S. senators, who serve six-year terms.
Under the Senate’s constitutional responsibilities, senators introduce and vote on federal legislation, conduct oversight, consider presidential nominations and participate in the treaty approval process.
Those responsibilities would allow Turek to pursue federal changes involving health care, agriculture, trade and disability rights.
However, his election does not directly change Iowa state laws, including rules governing the state’s Education Savings Account (ESA) program.
Any changes to Iowa’s ESA eligibility requirements, funding or administration would have to follow the state’s applicable legislative and administrative processes.
Turek’s Senate term begins January 3, 2027
The six-year term for Iowa’s Class II U.S. Senate seat is scheduled to begin on January 3, 2027, under the U.S. Senate’s term schedule.
Before the election results become official, Iowa must complete its statewide canvass. The Iowa Secretary of State’s 2026 election calendar establishes November 30 as the deadline for completing that process.
Stay in the know with stories that matter — visit HolaAmericaNews.com for the latest news, culture and community updates!
Facebook Comments
