Politics1 min read

Democrat Josh Turek wins the Senate seat in Iowa

By · Via NPR · Published by Everything Blog

In short

State Representative Josh Turek campaigned as a prairie populist, focusing his platform on healthcare reform while criticizing Congresswoman Ashley Hinson's support for nearly $1 trillion in federal Medicaid reductions. Hinson initially led the race with Donald Trump's endorsement, but her advantage eroded alongside the president's falling approval ratings. Financial momentum also powered the flip, as Turek significantly outpaced his opponent in fourth-quarter fundraising during a contest that attracted over $100 million in outside spending.

Key points

  • Democrats broke more than ten years of complete Republican dominance over Iowa's two U.S.…: Democrats broke more than ten years of complete Republican dominance over Iowa's two U.S. Senate seats.
  • Shifting economic conditions, including agricultural tariffs and high diesel costs from t…: Shifting economic conditions, including agricultural tariffs and high diesel costs from the war in Iran, severely weakened the Republican front-runner.
  • Josh Turek will officially take over the open seat left by the retirement of Republican S…: Josh Turek will officially take over the open seat left by the retirement of Republican Senator Joni Ernst.

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Democrat Josh Turek has won the U.S. Senate race in Iowa, according to a race call by The Associated Press. His win ends more than a decade of Republican control of both Senate seats in the state.

Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, beat Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson. He flipped one of the country's most competitive U.S. Senate seats, replacing retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, who announced she would not be seeking a third term last fall.

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Turek is a two-time gold medalist playing basketball in the Paralympics. He uses a wheelchair due to spina bifida, a condition he says is due to his father's exposure to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. He was a relatively unknown state lawmaker who beat Zach Wahls, the former state Senate minority leader, to get the Democratic nomination in June.

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Turek, who calls himself a "prairie populist," campaigned hard on healthcare reform, attacking Hinson for…

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