{{short description|American politician and wheelchair basketball player}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Josh Turek |image = Joshua Turek.jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2023 |state_house = Iowa |district = 20th |term_start = January 9, 2023 |term_end = |predecessor = Charlie McConkey |successor = |birth_name = Joshua Mark Turek |birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1979|4|12}}}} |birth_place = Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Democratic |spouse = |relatives = John Turek (brother) |education = Southwest Minnesota State University (BA)<br>DeVry University (MBA) |module = {{Infobox sportsperson |embed = yes |height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}} |sport = Wheelchair basketball |disability = Spina bifida |disability_class = 3.5 |coach = Ron Lykins |medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's wheelchair basketball}} {{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Paralympic Games}} {{MedalGold|2016 Rio de Janeiro|Team}} {{MedalGold|2020 Tokyo|Team}} {{MedalBronze|2012 London|Team}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championship}} {{MedalSilver|2014 Incheon|Team}} {{MedalCompetition|Parapan American Games}} {{MedalGold|2011 Guadalajara|Team}} {{MedalGold|2015 Toronto|Team}} {{MedalGold|2019 Lima|Team}} |show-medals = no}} | module2 = {{Listen voice | filename = Josh Turek on the Paralympics and public service.mp3 | description = Turek on the similarities between public service and the Paralympics | recorded = March 11, 2026}} }} '''Joshua Mark Turek'''<ref name=":5" /> (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 played for the U.S. men's national wheelchair basketball team. He is a candidate in the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa, labeling himself a moderate Democrat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Turek, in announcing U.S. Senate run, says Iowans want a moderate Democrat |url=https://www.thegazette.com/article/turek-says-iowans-want-a-common-sense-moderate-democrat-as-he-announces-u-s-senate-campaign/ |access-date=2025-08-28 |language=en-US|website=The Gazette}}</ref>
== Early life and education== Turek was born on April 12, 1979, in Council Bluffs, Iowa,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek - Biography {{!}} LegiStorm |url=https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/449642/Joshua_Mark_Turek.html |access-date=2026-05-23 |website=www.legistorm.com |language=en}}</ref> with spina bifida.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Brummer |first=Sheila |date=2025-08-13 |title=State lawmaker, Paralympian enters the growing field of U.S. Senate candidates |url=https://www.iowapublicradio.org/political-news/2025-08-13/josh-turek-democrat-us-senate-seat-joni-ernst-2026-election |access-date=2026-05-23 |website=Iowa Public Radio |language=en}}</ref> His father, John Turek, served in the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brummer |first=Sheila |date=2025-08-13 |title=State lawmaker, Paralympian enters the growing field of U.S. Senate candidates |url=https://www.iowapublicradio.org/political-news/2025-08-13/josh-turek-democrat-us-senate-seat-joni-ernst-2026-election |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=Iowa Public Radio |language=en}}</ref> and his mother, Luellen, was a social worker.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Burns |first=Douglas |date=2023-11-29 |title=A pioneering Iowa Democrat: Don’t tell Josh Turek what can’t be done |url=https://carrollspaper.com/news/a-pioneering-iowa-democrat-don-t-tell-josh-turek-what-can-t-be-done/article_8b819f66-8ecd-11ee-873f-ef447ebae449.html |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=Carroll Times Herald |language=en}}</ref> He grew up with three sisters and a brother.<ref name=":6" /> He has used a wheelchair since childhood.<ref name=":4" /> In seventh grade, he began playing wheelchair basketball.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burns |first=Douglas |date=2024-03-05 |title=Iowa can tap into its disability community to fill workforce needs • Iowa Capital Dispatch |url=https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/03/05/iowa-can-tap-into-its-disability-community-to-fill-workforce-needs/ |access-date=2026-06-01 |website=Iowa Capital Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref>
He later graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs.<ref name=":9" /> In 2002, he earned a bachelor's degree in history from Southwest Minnesota State University.<ref name=":5" /> He later earned a Master of Business Administration from DeVry University.<ref name=":5" />
==Athletic career== Turek played wheelchair basketball at Southwest Minnesota State University from 1997 to 2002, where he set school career records with 4,024 points and 1,213 rebounds.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Josh Turek (2022) - SMSU Athletics Hall of Honor |url=https://smsumustangs.com/honors/smsu-athletics-hall-of-honor/josh-turek/118 |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=SMSU Athletics |language=en}}</ref> He was a four-time National Wheelchair Basketball Association All-American and was inducted into the university's Hall of Honor in 2022.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Iowa |first=Charity Nebbe Rick Brewer Rick Brewer was a producer for IPR's Talk of |last2=River |first2=River to |title=Josh Turek's long and bumpy road to becoming a two-time gold medalist |url=https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/talk-of-iowa/2022-01-04/josh-tureks-long-and-bumpy-road-to-becoming-a-two-time-gold-medalist |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=Iowa Public Radio |language=en}}</ref>
Following his collegiate career, Turek began playing professionally in Europe. He played for clubs in Italy, France, and Spain over a professional career spanning two decades, including in Spain's top wheelchair basketball league.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Tate |first=Jim |date=July 9, 2021 |title=Paralympics: Going for the gold |url=https://www.marshallindependent.com/sports/local-sports/2021/07/paralympics-going-for-the-gold/ |work=Marshall Independent}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wheelchair Basketball - Joshua Turek |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/wheelchair-basketball/athlete-profile-n1691743-turek-joshua.htm |website= Olympics.com |publisher= Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909065512/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/wheelchair-basketball/athlete-profile-n1691743-turek-joshua.htm |archive-date=September 9, 2021 |access-date= September 9, 2021}}</ref>
==Iowa House of Representatives==
=== Elections === Turek announced he was running for Iowa's 20th House of Representatives district in March 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nonpareilonline.com/news/local/turek-announces-run-for-iowa-house-district-20/article_e87d966c-a003-11ec-a4d7-7f5434a1e6c5.html |title=Turek announces run for Iowa House District 20 |newspaper=The Daily Nonpareil |first=Mike |last=Brownlee |date=March 10, 2022 |access-date=March 10, 2022}}</ref> After a recount requested by his Republican opponent, Sarah Abdouch, it was confirmed Turek won the election by six votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nonpareilonline.com/news/district-20-recount-confirms-turek-victory-by-miniscule-margin/article_dcb00016-6ad0-11ed-b472-4b0c1f37e507.html |title=District 20 recount confirms Turek victory by miniscule margin |newspaper=The Daily Nonpareil |first=David |last=Golbitz |date=November 24, 2022 |access-date=November 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jsonline.com/elections/results/race/2022-11-08-state_house-IA-16752/ |title=2022 Iowa State House - District 20 Election Results |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=January 6, 2023 |access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref> In 2024, he was reelected, defeating Republican James Wassell with 52.5% of the vote to Wassell’s 47.5%.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-02 |title=2024 IA State House General Election Results |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/elections/results/2024-11-05/iowa/state-house |access-date=2026-05-28 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en}}</ref> The district has voted Republican in every Presidential election since 1968.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Métraux |first=Julia |title=The populist Paralympian who wants to roll into the Senate |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/the-populist-paralympian-who-wants-roll-into-the-senate/ |access-date=2026-06-01 |website=Mother Jones |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Tenure === Turek took office on January 9, 2023.<ref name=":10">{{cite web |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/08/iowa-legislature-2023-new-lawmakers-join-house-senate-diverse-young/69661292007/ |title=Meet Iowa Legislature's new, diverse lawmakers |newspaper=The Des Moines Register |date=January 8, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2023}}</ref> He is the Iowa legislature's first permanently disabled member.<ref name=":10" /> He has focused on disability-related issues,<ref name=":10" /> including 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sostaric |first=Katarina |date=2025-02-26 |title=Bill advances to help Iowans with disabilities 'work without worry' |url=https://www.iowapublicradio.org/state-government-news/2025-02-26/bill-advances-to-help-iowans-with-disabilities-medicaid-work-without-worry |access-date=2026-06-01 |website=Iowa Public Radio |language=en}}</ref>
He has also worked on agricultural legislation, including 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.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Zachary Oren |date=2026-05-04 |title=Exclusive: Josh Turek launches rural Iowa plan, points to right-to-repair win as proof of concept |url=https://iowastartingline.com/news/josh-turek-rebuild-rural-iowa/ |access-date=2026-05-28 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== 2026 U.S. Senate campaign ==
In August 2025, Turek announced his candidacy in the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Opsahl|first1=Robin |title=Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, two-time Paralympian, launches campaign for U.S. Senate|url=https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-rep-josh-turek-two-time-paralympian-launches-campaign-for-us-senate/65670366|access-date=August 27, 2025 |work=KCCI |date=August 12, 2025}}</ref> He entered a Democratic primary field that included state Senator Zach Wahls and other candidates.<ref name=":1" /> The eventual Democratic nominee is expected to face U.S. House Representative Ashley Hinson, the likely Republican nominee, in the general election.<ref name=":1" />
== Political positions == Turek has called himself a "common-sense" moderate Democrat and "prairie populist".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Democrats Turek, Scholten team up to build campaign momentum |url=https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/democrats-josh-turek-j-d-scholten-team-up-to-build-momentum-in-u-s-senate-race/ |access-date=2025-08-27 |language=en-US|website=The Gazette}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Turek, in announcing U.S. Senate run, says Iowans want a moderate Democrat |url=https://www.thegazette.com/article/turek-says-iowans-want-a-common-sense-moderate-democrat-as-he-announces-u-s-senate-campaign/ |access-date=2025-08-28 |language=en-US|website=The Gazette}}</ref>
=== Education === Turek supports public education and opposes school vouchers.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=About Josh Turek |url=https://turek4iowa.com/about/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260326164015/https://turek4iowa.com/about/ |archive-date=March 26, 2026 |access-date=April 22, 2026 |website=Josh Turek for Iowa}}</ref>
=== Health care === Turek supports a public health insurance option and restoring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Gruber-Miller |first=Stephen |date=March 10, 2026 |title=Josh Turek hears rural health care concerns, pitches public option |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/03/10/us-senate-candidate-josh-turek-des-moines/88946181007/ |access-date=April 22, 2026 |work=The Des Moines Register}}</ref> He opposes cuts to Medicaid and has said he would reverse the Medicaid spending cuts passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Robin |first=Opsahl |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, two-time Paralympian, launches campaign for U.S. Senate |url=https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/08/12/iowa-rep-josh-turek-two-time-paralympian-launches-campaign-for-u-s-senate/ |access-date=April 22, 2026 |work=Iowa Capital Dispatch}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":3" />
=== 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.<ref name=":11" /> 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.<ref name=":11" />
=== 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."<ref name=":0" />
== Personal life == Turek is married to Jarolin.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Iowa Legislative Services Agency |title=State Representative |url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator/legislatorAllYears?personID=33969 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251009153113/https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator/legislatorAllYears?personID=33969 |archive-date=2025-10-09 |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.legis.iowa.gov |language=en}}</ref> They live in Council Bluffs, Iowa.<ref name=":9" /> He met his wife in Spain while playing professional basketball.<ref name=":8" /> His brother John and sister Elisha were also professional basketball players in Europe.<ref name="teamusa">{{cite web |title=Josh Turek |url=https://www.teamusa.org/para-wheelchair-basketball/athletes/Josh-Turek |website=TeamUSA.org |publisher=| url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031021350/https://www.teamusa.org/para-wheelchair-basketball/athletes/Josh-Turek |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |access-date= September 9, 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{IPC profile|joshua-turek}}
{{Current Iowa Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turek, Joshua}} Category:1979 births Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century members of the Iowa General Assembly Category:American athlete-politicians Category:American men's wheelchair basketball players Category:American politicians with disabilities Category:Basketball players from Iowa Category:Candidates in the 2026 United States Senate elections Category:Democratic Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Category:Living people
Category:American people of Polish descent Category:Medalists at the 2011 Parapan American Games Category:Medalists at the 2015 Parapan American Games Category:Medalists at the 2019 Parapan American Games Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Category:Paralympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Paralympic medalists in wheelchair basketball Category:Paralympic wheelchair basketball players for the United States Category:Parapan American Games medalists in wheelchair basketball Category:Parapan American Games gold medalists for the United States Category:Paralympic bronze medalists for the United States Category:People with spina bifida Category:Sportspeople from Council Bluffs, Iowa Category:Wheelchair basketball players at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Category:Wheelchair basketball players at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Category:Wheelchair basketball players at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Category:Wheelchair basketball players at the 2020 Summer Paralympics