Josh Turek
Official portrait, 2023
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives
from the 20th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 9, 2023
Preceded by Charlie McConkey
Personal details
Born Joshua Mark Turek
(1979-04-12) April 12, 1979 (age 47)
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
Medal record
Men's wheelchair basketball
Representing the  United States
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London Team
World Championship
Silver medal – second place 2014 Incheon Team
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara Team
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto Team
Gold medal – first place 2019 Lima Team
Josh Turek's voice
Turek on the similarities between public service and the Paralympics
Recorded March 11, 2026

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]

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 populist[3] and moderate,[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 graduated from 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 team, coached by Ron Lykins.[16] He led the United States in scoring with 18 points in a 67–36 win over Argentina at the 2019 Parapan American Games during qualification for the 2020 Summer Paralympics, helping secure the team's place at the Tokyo Games.[17]

Turek made his Paralympic debut at the 2004 Games in Athens, where the United States finished seventh in men's wheelchair basketball. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 Games in London and gold medals at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and 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

Main article: 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa

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]

Personal life

Turek is married to Jarolin Turek.[10] They live in Council Bluffs, Iowa.[10] He met his wife in Spain while playing professional basketball,[14] and they married in 2018.[32] His brother John and sister Elisha were also professional basketball players in Europe.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek - Biography | LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Turek, in announcing U.S. Senate run, says Iowans want a moderate Democrat". The Gazette. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  3. ^ Zeleny, Jeff (May 30, 2026). "A Paralympian and 'prairie populist': How this Iowa Senate candidate is trying to spark a rural revival for Democrats | CNN Politics". CNN.
  4. ^ Balk, Tim (June 3, 2026). "5 Things to Know About the Iowa Senate Candidate Josh Turek" – via NYTimes.com.
  5. ^ Fink, Jenni (June 2, 2026). "Josh Turek's Chances of Beating Ashley Hinson, According to Polls". Newsweek.
  6. ^ a b Rapids, Michael KruseMichael Kruse reported from Cedar; City, Iowa; Bettendorf; Moines, Des; Bluffs, Council; Iowa; Omaha. (June 1, 2026). "Iowa Democrats Seek an Outsider in an Anti-Establishment Year". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  7. ^ Burns, Douglas (November 29, 2023). "A pioneering Iowa Democrat: Don't tell Josh Turek what can't be done". Carroll Times Herald. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  8. ^ Brummer, Sheila (August 13, 2025). "State lawmaker, Paralympian enters the growing field of U.S. Senate candidates". Iowa Public Radio. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  9. ^ Burns, Douglas (March 5, 2024). "Iowa can tap into its disability community to fill workforce needs • Iowa Capital Dispatch". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  10. ^ a b c d Iowa Legislative Services Agency. "State Representative". www.legis.iowa.gov. Archived from the original on October 9, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Josh Turek (2022) - SMSU Athletics Hall of Honor". SMSU Athletics. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  12. ^ Committee, NWBA Hall of Fame (January 25, 2023). "Class of 2023 NWBA Hall of Fame Inductees Announced". National Wheelchair Basketball Association. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  13. ^ Iowa, Charity Nebbe Rick Brewer Rick Brewer was a producer for IPR's Talk of; River, River to. "Josh Turek's long and bumpy road to becoming a two-time gold medalist". Iowa Public Radio. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  14. ^ a b Tate, Jim (July 9, 2021). "Paralympics: Going for the gold". Marshall Independent.
  15. ^ Rushing, Ty (October 9, 2022). "Paralympics Basketball Star Josh Turek Takes A Shot At Representing Council Bluffs". Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  16. ^ Waller, Will (August 30, 2019). "USA Men Qualify for Tokyo and Advance to the Finals". National Wheelchair Basketball Association. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  17. ^ Waller, Will (August 30, 2019). "USA Men Qualify for Tokyo and Advance to the Finals". National Wheelchair Basketball Association. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  18. ^ "Wheelchair Basketball - Joshua Turek". Olympics.com. Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  19. ^ Brownlee, Mike (March 10, 2022). "Turek announces run for Iowa House District 20". The Daily Nonpareil. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  20. ^ Golbitz, David (November 24, 2022). "District 20 recount confirms Turek victory by miniscule margin". The Daily Nonpareil. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  21. ^ "2022 Iowa State House - District 20 Election Results". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  22. ^ "2024 IA State House General Election Results". The Des Moines Register. December 2, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  23. ^ a b c Métraux, Julia. "The populist Paralympian who wants to roll into the Senate". Mother Jones. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  24. ^ a b c "Meet Iowa Legislature's new, diverse lawmakers". The Des Moines Register. January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  25. ^ Sostaric, Katarina (February 26, 2025). "Bill advances to help Iowans with disabilities 'work without worry'". Iowa Public Radio. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  26. ^ a b c Smith, Zachary Oren (May 4, 2026). "Exclusive: Josh Turek launches rural Iowa plan, points to right-to-repair win as proof of concept". Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  27. ^ Iowa Legislative Services Agency. "Representative Josh Turek". www.legis.iowa.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  28. ^ Opsahl, Robin (August 12, 2025). "Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, two-time Paralympian, launches campaign for U.S. Senate". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  29. ^ a b "Democrats Turek, Scholten team up to build campaign momentum". The Gazette. August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  30. ^ a b c Gruber-Miller, Stephen (March 10, 2026). "Josh Turek hears rural health care concerns, pitches public option". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  31. ^ Robin, Opsahl (August 12, 2025). "Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, two-time Paralympian, launches campaign for U.S. Senate". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  32. ^ Rushing, Ty (October 9, 2022). "Paralympics Basketball Star Josh Turek Takes A Shot At Representing Council Bluffs". Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  33. ^ "Josh Turek". TeamUSA.org. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  • Josh Turek at the International Paralympic Committee