DES MOINES, Iowa — In a closely watched and fiercely contested election that carried profound historical resonance, Democratic state Representative Josh Turek secured a momentous victory last week, defeating Republican Representative Ashley Hinson to represent Iowa in the United States Senate. Turek, a former elite athlete who competed in four Paralympic Games and captured two gold medals in wheelchair basketball, will step onto the national stage to fill the seat previously held for three decades by retired Democratic Senator Tom Harkin, a principal architect of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act.
The victory marks a milestone not only for Iowa politics, but also for disability representation in American governance. Turek, who has lived with spina bifida since birth—a condition he attributes to his father’s exposure to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange during his service in the Vietnam War—will be sworn into office on January 3. He will succeed retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst, shifting the political dynamics of a seat that has seen significant transitions in recent years.
Addressing supporters during an election night event in Des Moines, an energized Turek pumped his fist and reflected on the improbable journey that carried him from athletic arenas and the Iowa Statehouse to the halls of the United States Congress.
“We have proven that the impossible was possible,” Turek told the cheering crowd. “Pero I’ve heard the impossible my whole life. Doctors told me and my parents it was impossible for me to live a fulfilled life after I was born with spina bifida. Proved them wrong then. They told me it was impossible to win gold medals after I was cut from the U.S. national team six straight times. Proved them wrong then.”
Turek’s path to the U.S. Senate has been defined by persistence, athleticism, and a deeply grassroots approach to retail politics. Throughout his campaign, Turek positioned himself as a pragmatic moderate, connecting directly with voters across Iowa through tireless campaigning. In one of the most enduring images of the race, Turek was frequently seen physically dragging his wheelchair up flights of stairs to knock on doors and reach constituents in homes that lacked accessibility ramps—a visceral demonstration of his determination to make sure every voice was heard, regardless of architectural barriers.
That tenacity has been a hallmark of Turek’s life. Before entering public office as a state representative, he achieved international acclaim as a wheelchair basketball player, representing the United States on the global stage across four separate Paralympic Games and standing atop the podium twice to claim gold medals. Yet, even as he scaled the heights of international sport, Turek faced formidable institutional hurdles, enduring the setback of being cut from the U.S. national team six consecutive times before ultimately breaking through and cementing his legacy as a champion athlete.
Transitioning from sports to public service, Turek brought that same relentless drive to the Iowa Legislature. As a state lawmaker, he built a reputation for focusing on the everyday economic and social concerns of working families. During his recent federal campaign, Turek made affordable housing and accessible health care the central pillars of his platform, arguing that economic security and physical accessibility are fundamentally intertwined issues that affect millions of Americans.
For Turek, the victory carries a deeply personal historical connection to the very chambers he will soon enter. The seat he won was occupied for thirty years by Tom Harkin, a Democratic titan of the Senate whose legislative masterpiece, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, transformed the physical, professional, and civic landscape of the United States by prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities and mandating public accommodations.
Turek has frequently spoken about how Harkin’s legislative achievements directly shaped the trajectory of his own life, providing the legal and societal infrastructure that allowed him to move freely, pursue an education, compete athletically, and eventually run for high public office.
“Since I began this, I’ve been saying that it’s going to be something beautifully poetic that the man that is coming to get Sen. Harkin’s seat back is only there because of the work that he did in the United States Senate,” Turek remarked during his victory speech. “The great Tom Harkin changed my life and gave me and so many other disabled Americans an on-ramp on society. Had it not been for this man who represents the epitome of what is good and what is good in public service, my life would have looked very, very different.”
Turek’s election victory also highlights the changing demographics and political currents within Iowa, a state that has trended increasingly conservative in recent election cycles. By running a campaign focused heavily on economic populism, accessibility, and practical solutions for middle-class families, Turek was able to forge a broad coalition of voters that crossed traditional ideological lines. His victory over Representative Ashley Hinson, a high-profile Republican who represented Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, represents one of the most notable flips of the election cycle.
As the political landscape prepares for the new congressional term, attention is already turning to how Turek will translate his state-level legislative experience and background as an advocate into the national arena. With his swearing-in scheduled for January 3, he will join a select group of lawmakers in American history who have lived with significant physical disabilities, bringing a lived perspective to the legislative process that is rarely represented at the highest levels of federal power.
For Turek, the transition from state legislator and gold-medal Paralympian to United States Senator represents the latest chapter in a life spent dismantling barriers and defying low expectations. Standing before his supporters in Des Moines, with the historic victory secured and the challenges of Washington D.C. lying ahead, Turek’s message remained rooted in the resilience that has defined his entire journey. Whether facing skeptical doctors in his youth, athletic selectors on the basketball court, or steep staircases on the campaign trail, Turek has consistently demonstrated a willingness to take on the difficult climbs—a trait he now prepares to bring to the United States Senate on behalf of Iowa.
