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U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek addresses cost of living at Dubuque meet-and-greet event
Democratic Iowa legislator is running for the seat held by retiring U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst
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DUBUQUE — Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and current Iowa Rep. Josh Turek held a meet-and-greet event with Dubuque residents Friday evening, when he discussed the pillars of his campaign to fill the seat held by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst.
The Council Bluffs native focused on health care, child care and other issues pertaining to the rising cost of living, which Turek said he hears about daily from working Iowans.
“I think we need more people in the Senate from places like Council Bluffs, that have actually gone through real-world experience and have dealt with actual economic struggles,” he said.
Turek, who’s a Democrat representing one of what he called the “reddest districts up for election” in Iowa House District 20, said that his experience winning the 2022 election and keeping his seat two years later qualifies him as a strong candidate for the Senate seat. He also cited several pieces of bipartisan legislation that he sponsored or cosponsored over the past four years, and said that he’s proud to put party lines behind him in the name of enacting policy.
As someone born with spina bifida and having navigated America’s health care system, he said serving in the U.S. Senate won’t be the hardest task he has faced.
“I’m only here because of the work of a great senator, (former) Sen. (Tom) Harkin, and the work he did on the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Turek said. “I believe that Iowans deserve to have a senator who’s going to fight for social security nets and fight for economic justice.”
He said if elected, he will focus on policies to support middle-class workers, small businesses, rural communities and family farms.
Joyce Johnson, a retired Monticello middle school teacher and registered Democrat who was at the event, said she feels there’s a disconnect between the state’s current federal representation and its residents.
“I’m extremely concerned about what’s happening to our schools,” Johnson said, referring to several metrics used to quantify Iowa’s falling national rank in public education. “I’m concerned about health care. I’m concerned about people like my mom, who will turn 90 in July.”
Several Republican leaders in the state Legislature last week emphasized the need for unity within the party during the party’s legislative kickoff event. Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann praised U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is also seeking the open Senate seat, for delivering on things ranging from working to support the “Big Beautiful Bill” to authoring several pieces of legislation to build up Iowa families.
House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, emphasized that no matter who the Republican candidate chosen through the primary election is, the party needs to come together to support them.
“After June is over, we all better come together, because trust me, the Democrats are going to come together,” Grassley said. “So we have a choice, we can either be pouting over who won what, or we can make a decision (that) we cannot let these people be in charge.”
When asked about his own party, Turek said he believes there’s more unity among Democrats in Iowa than there has been in recent years. However, in terms of his platform, he intends to stay away from what he dubbed “culture war” issues and focus more on the problems directly affecting livelihoods across the state.
“I believe this is a once-in-a- generation opportunity,” he said. “Iowans, regardless of where they sit, (Democrats), Republicans or independents, I think are recognizing that we need change.”
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