Josh Turek

Josh Turek
Member of the IowaHouseofRepresentatives from the 20th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2023

Men's wheelchair basketball
Representing the   United States
Paralympic Games
	2016 Rio de Janeiro	Team
	2020 Tokyo	Team
	2012 London	Team
World Championship
	2014 Incheon	Team
Parapan American Games
	2011 Guadalajara	Team
	2015 Toronto	Team
	2019 Lima	Team

Joshua Mark Turek ^[1] (born April 12, 1979) is an American politician serving as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 20th district. He was formerly a wheelchair basketball player and a member of 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.

Early life and Paralympic career

Turek was born with spina bifida and has been a wheelchair user since childhood. ^[3] His brother, John, and sister, Elisha, are both retired professional basketball players. ^[4]

Turek has represented the U.S. in wheelchair basketball at the Summer Paralympics four times, finishing in seventh place in 2004 and winning a bronze medal in 2012 and gold medals in 2016 and 2020. ^[5]

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 Iowa's 2026 U.S. Senate election. ^[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]

References

1. https://www.turek4iowa.com/meet-josh
2. "Turek, in announcing U.S. Senate run, says Iowans want a moderate Democrat" . Retrieved 2025-08-28.
3. Simmons, Taj (October 2, 2022). "Champion Paralympian from Iowa shares spina bifida story". who13.com. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
4. "Josh Turek". TeamUSA.org . Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
5. "Wheelchair Basketball - Joshua Turek". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
6. Brownlee, Mike (March 10, 2022). "Turek announces run for Iowa House District 20". The Daily Nonpareil . Retrieved March 10, 2022.
7. Golbitz, David (November 24, 2022). "District 20 recount confirms Turek victory by miniscule margin". The Daily Nonpareil . Retrieved November 24, 2022.
8. "2022 Iowa State House - District 20 Election Results". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
9. "Meet Iowa Legislature's new, diverse lawmakers". The Des Moines Register . January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
10. Opsahl, Robin (August 12, 2025). "Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, two-time Paralympian, launches campaign for U.S. Senate". KCCI . Retrieved August 27, 2025.
11. "Democrats Turek, Scholten team up to build campaign momentum" . Retrieved 2025-08-27.
12. "Turek, in announcing U.S. Senate run, says Iowans want a moderate Democrat" . Retrieved 2025-08-28.

External links

• Josh Turek at the International Paralympic Committee