Josh Turek
American politician and wheelchair basketball player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joshua Mark Turek[1] (born April 12, 1979) is an American politician and wheelchair basketball player serving as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 20th district. Turek played for the U.S. men's national wheelchair basketball team. A moderate Democrat,[2] he is a candidate in the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa.
April 12, 1979
Josh Turek | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 20th district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Charlie McConkey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joshua Mark Turek April 12, 1979 Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Relatives | John Turek (brother) |
| Education | Southwest Minnesota State University (BA) DeVry University (MBA) |
| Sports career | |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Sport | Wheelchair basketball |
| Disability | Spina bifida |
| Disability class | 3.5 |
| Coached by | Ron Lykins |
Early life and education
Turek was born with spina bifida and has been a wheelchair user since childhood.[3] He has a brother, John, and sister, Elisha.[4]
Athletic career
Political career
Turek announced he was running for Iowa's 20th House of Representatives district in March 2022.[6] After a recount requested by his Republican opponent, Sarah Abdouch, it was confirmed Turek won the election by six votes.[7][8] He took office on January 9, 2023. Turek has worked extensively as an advocate for disabled people. He is the Iowa legislature's first permanently disabled member.[9]
In August 2025, Turek announced his candidacy in the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa.[10]
Political views
Turek has called himself a "common-sense" moderate Democrat and "prairie populist".[11][12]
He opposes school vouchers and cuts to Medicaid.[1]
Israel–Palestine conflict
On August 18, 2025, Turek was asked about his views on the Gaza war, starvation in Gaza, and the humanitarian crisis. He said that Israel remains a U.S. ally but that there should be limits to U.S. aid to Israel, adding, "The response at this point has been disproportionate, and I don't think that taxpayer dollars or United States support should be going toward the hurting or killing of children or civilians or certainly not impeding aid going into these areas."[11]