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. He is the Democratic nominee in the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa.[2]
April 12, 1979
Josh Turek | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 20th district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Ray Sorensen (redistricted) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joshua Mark Turek April 12, 1979 Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Jarolin Turek (m. 2018) |
| Relatives | John Turek (brother) |
| Education | Southwest Minnesota State University (BA) DeVry University (MBA) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
| Sports career | |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Sport | Wheelchair basketball |
| Disability | Spina bifida |
| Disability class | 3.5 |
| Coached by | Ron Lykins |
Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Turek played wheelchair basketball for Southwest Minnesota State University and professionally in Europe, and competed with the United States men's national wheelchair basketball team, winning gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics.
A self-described "prairie populist" and a moderate Democrat,[3][4] Turek was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2022 and reelected in 2024 in a district that strongly supported Donald Trump. During his tenure, he has focused on disability policy, health care, and agricultural issues.
Early life and education
Turek was born on April 12, 1979, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.[1] His father, John Turek, served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War[5] and was a vocational school administrator. His mother, Luellen, was a social worker and community college instructor.[6] He grew up with three sisters and a brother.[7]
Born with spina bifida, Turek underwent multiple surgeries as a child to improve mobility and has used a wheelchair since childhood.[6] In seventh grade, he began playing wheelchair basketball.[8][9]
Turek is a graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs.[10] In 2002, he earned a bachelor's degree in history from Southwest Minnesota State University.[1] He later earned a Master of Business Administration from DeVry University.[1]
Athletic career
From 1997 to 2002, Turek played wheelchair basketball at Southwest Minnesota State University, where he set school career records with 4,024 points and 1,213 rebounds.[11] He was a four-time National Wheelchair Basketball Association All-American and was inducted into the NWBA's Hall of Fame in 2023.[11][12][13]
After graduating, Turek began playing professionally in Europe. He played for clubs in Italy, France, and Spain for nearly two decades, including Bidaideak Bilbao BS in Spain's top wheelchair basketball league.[14] He led Bilbao in scoring and was named to the league's All-Star Five while playing for the club.[15]
Turek was a member of the United States men's national wheelchair basketball team, coached by Ron Lykins.[16] He helped the United States qualify for the 2020 Summer Paralympics at the 2019 Parapan American Games, where he led the team with 18 points in a 67–36 win over Argentina.[17]
In four Paralympic appearances beginning with the 2004 Games in Athens, Turek won a bronze medal at the 2012 Games in London, a gold medal at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, and a gold medal at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. He also won a silver medal at the 2014 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Incheon.[18]
Iowa House of Representatives
Elections
In March 2022, Turek announced he was running for Iowa's 20th House of Representatives district.[19] After a recount requested by his Republican opponent, Sarah Abdouch, it was confirmed Turek won the election by six votes.[20][21] He was reelected in 2024, defeating Republican nominee James Wassell with 52.5% of the vote to Wassell's 47.5%.[22] The district has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1968.[23]
Tenure
Turek took office on January 9, 2023.[24] He is the Iowa legislature's first permanently disabled member.[24] He has focused on disability-related issues,[24] leading efforts to advance bipartisan legislation that sought to remove Medicaid income limits for employed Iowans with disabilities to support workforce participation without loss of coverage.[25]
Turek has also worked on agricultural legislation, co-sponsoring a bipartisan right-to-repair bill requiring agricultural equipment manufacturers to make parts, software, and repair tools available to farmers and independent mechanics at fair and reasonable cost. The bill passed the Iowa House in 2026.[26]
Committee assignments
In the Iowa House, Turek serves on the Health and Human Services Committee and the Health Policy Oversight Committee. He previously served on the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources committees and was ranking member of the Veterans Affair Committee and Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee.[10][27]
2026 U.S. Senate campaign
On August 12, 2025, Turek announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate.[28] He defeated State Senator Zach Wahls in the Democratic primary[23] and faces the Republican nominee, U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson, in the general election.[23]
Political positions
Turek has called himself a "common-sense" moderate Democrat and a "prairie populist".[29][2]
Health care
Turek supports a public health insurance option and restoring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.[30] He opposes cuts to Medicaid and has said he would reverse the Medicaid spending cuts passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.[30][31] He supports restoring the abortion protections that Roe v. Wade previously provided by passing a federal law; he has said that Iowa's six-week abortion ban reduced OB-GYN services available in the state.[30]
Agriculture
Turek supports right-to-repair legislation for agricultural equipment, including requiring manufacturers to make parts, software, and repair tools available to farmers and independent mechanics at fair and reasonable cost.[26] He has also supported mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef and pork, restrictions on vertical integration in meat processing, fertilizer pricing transparency requirements, and incentives for water quality practices.[26]
Foreign policy
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."[29]