Josh Turek Flips Iowa’s U.S. Senate Seat in General Election Upset
Supporters clad in cardinal and gold crowded the parking spaces near Jack Trice Stadium in Ames during an early September morning marked by high heat and humidity, as Iowa State enthusiasts enjoyed pre-game tailgates prior to the season’s opening football matchup against Southeast Missouri State University. Among the crowd walked Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek, going tent to tent and accepting a cyclone-themed beer, a sandwich, carrots, and tomatoes from a local voter. That retail campaign trail ground game culminated when Turek was declared the winner of the general election for the United States Senate in Iowa, defeating Republican candidate Ashley Hinson and Libertarian candidate Thomas Laehn, according to KTIV.
Taking over the legislative position previously occupied by Joni Ernst—who had earlier stated she would forgo another run—Turek enters the office. According to race calls from the Associated Press, Turek secured 50.8 percent of the vote with 92 percent of results reported. In capturing the seat, the Council Bluffs resident and state representative flipped one of the country’s most competitive U.S. Senate contests—a seat held by a Republican for the past 12 years in a state that Donald Trump carried by a 13-point margin during the 2024 presidential cycle.
From a Six-Vote State House Win to the National Stage
Turek’s political journey began in 2021 when he ran to represent Council Bluffs in the state legislature, winning that initial local contest by a razor-thin margin of six votes, according to his campaign website. A relatively unknown state lawmaker when he entered the 2026 primary, Turek defeated Zach Wahls to secure the Democratic nomination.
Beyond his legislative career, Turek’s biography is defined by elite athletics and personal advocacy. He is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist for Team USA, having represented the United States in basketball across four Paralympic Games. Born with spina bifida—a condition his campaign attributes to his father’s exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War—Turek underwent 21 surgeries by the age of 12. While playing basketball, he worked as the volunteer director for the Ryan Martin Foundation, which provides free sports opportunities for disabled children, and collaborated with medical professionals at a wheelchair and mobility assistance company to supply complex rehab technology.
A Multi-Million Dollar Electoral Battleground
The 2026 Iowa Senate race emerged as one of the most expensive legislative contests in the United States. Federal spending data indicates that the candidates themselves spent more than $30 million, while outside political groups contributed more than $100 million, according to Open Secrets. Hinson, a former TV journalist viewed as a rising star in Iowa politics and an early frontrunner backed by Trump, outraised her opponents early on. However, as Trump’s approval ratings dipped and Iowa’s expansive agricultural sector absorbed economic pressure from ongoing trade friction, the race tightened into a toss-up by the summer months.
Both Turek and Hinson attempted to appeal to Iowa’s large number of uncommitted voters by positioning themselves as bipartisan lawmakers. Yet, as election day approached, policy clashes sharpened. Turek campaigned heavily on healthcare reform, criticizing Hinson for supporting federal legislation that reduced Medicaid spending nationwide, while accusing her of increasing personal wealth during her time in Washington. Hinson pushed back by highlighting provisions such as the no-tax-on-tips policy, branding herself as a minivan-driving mother while characterizing Turek as “too liberal” and pointing to his attendance record on floor votes during the prior state legislative session.
Candidates Clash over Russian Diesel Imports and Living Costs
During a televised debate moderated by KTIV’s Isabella Warren, both major party candidates addressed international affairs and domestic cost-of-living concerns. Turek criticized a deal with Russian leader Vladimir Putin allowing millions of barrels of diesel to be imported globally to lower domestic prices, arguing that the policy benefited the economy of Vladimir Putin. We actually agree on this. I want to do everything I can because everywhere I’m going all across Iowa I’m hearing from Iowans talking about gas prices and diesel prices. But I dont think it should be at the expense of benefiting the economy of someone like Vladimir Putin,
Turek stated during the debate.
Throughout his campaign stops in Sioux City and beyond, Turek pledged to keep his legislative focus fixed on pocketbook issues. My promise and my pledge to every Iowan out there: I will be laser-focused on cost, corruption, and kitchen table issues, of being out there actually fighting, not for billionaires, not for large corporations,
Turek told voters. At a tailgate stop in Ames, he expanded on structural political reforms, telling retired special education teacher Beth Spenler that he aims to target campaign finance transparency by working to overturn Citizens United and pass the DISCLOSE Act.
With Turek’s victory, Democrats claim a symbolic and strategic foothold in the U.S. Senate from the heart of the Midwest, altering the political map as Washington prepares for a new congressional session.
Here's what to know about Josh Turek, the Democrat who defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in an extremely competitive and expensive Senate race in Iowa. https://t.co/7fsD4G17N7
