State Rep. Josh Turek (D-IA), a gold medal Paralympian, won the Democratic primary Tuesday and will now set his sights on the open Iowa U.S. Senate seat.
While Iowa has seemed lost to Democrats since the 2010s white working class realignment, open races for Senate and governor, strong Democratic recruits and President Trump’s dismal approval rating may be enough to put the seat in reach.
Turek beat state Sen. Zach Wahls (D-IA), who vowed to bring the fight to the Democratic establishment, especially Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Turek declined to say whether he’d vote for Schumer, focusing instead on championing the “prairie populism” championed by former Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). It’s a pro-union, anti-corruption affordability message with specific Iowa tailoring — including shoring up protection for farmers and combatting the state’s sky-high rate of cancer diagnoses. Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) is trying something similar in that red state, shorthanded as “fish, family, freedom.”
The AP called the race within an hour of polls closing. With 28 percent of the vote counted, Turek had 63% to Wahls’ 37%.
Turek will be running alongside Rob Sand, the state auditor, who is giving Democrats a decent chance to take the governor’s mansion for the first time in 15 years.
