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progressoid

(51,793 posts)
Tue Aug 12, 2025, 01:26 PM Aug 12

4-time Paralympian, 2-time Team USA gold medalist, & IA State Rep. who won a Trump district is going after Joni Ernst.

I received this email this morning.

Hey, **********, my name is Josh Turek. I’m a former pro wheelchair basketball player, four-time Paralympian, two-time Team USA gold medalist, and Iowa State Representative who won a Trump district.

Now, I’m launching my campaign to defeat Joni Ernst and be Iowa’s defender in the U.S. Senate.

Before I explain why I’m ALL-IN on this race, you should know that experts are calling Iowa’s Senate seat one of the most likely to flip in 2026. Control of the entire Senate could hinge on the outcome of this race.

If you can, will you chip in $25 to become a Founding Donor of my campaign and help us hit our $100,000 launch goal? I’d love to have you on Team Turek from the very beginning!
Become a Founding Donor!
I’m a straight shooter, so let’s get this out of the way: I know taking on Joni Ernst and her band of Swamp Politicians isn’t going to be easy.

But I’m not a stranger to overcoming challenges and obstacles. I’m built to beat them.

I won a Trump district in the Iowa State House that I was told would be impossible for a Democrat to win. But, I knocked damn near every door in Council Bluffs and Carter Lake—in a wheelchair. Often had to get up ten to twenty stairs. Folks would ask, “How the heck did you get up to my door?” I’d tell them the truth: I crawled. I won by six votes.

Winning Iowa’s Senate race is another so-called “impossible” task. But, I’m confident I’ll defeat Joni Ernst because we need leaders with grit and guts now more than ever.

Farms and small businesses are getting crushed over a bogus trade war. Millions of seniors, disabled people, even kids, will be kicked off health care and food assistance so billionaires like Elon Musk can save a few bucks on their tax bill. Costs are out of control and getting worse. Extremists like Joni Ernst are working harder for wealthy elites than they ever have for their constituents.

The bottom line: Iowans deserve a Senator who’s as hard a worker and as proud a patriot as they are.

The good news is that Joni Ernst has never been more vulnerable. In fact, election forecasters have already pushed this race toward Democrats and one has Iowa ranked as Lean Republican.

This Senate race is one to watch. For that reason, it’s also on track to be one of 2026’s most expensive elections.

Beating Joni Ernst will be costly, considering she has enough megadonor cash and super PAC support to blanket the whole state of Iowa. No donation is too small to make a difference here.

Donate Here

We have a ton of work to do and history to make here in Iowa. Let’s do this!

Talk soon,

Josh Turek




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4-time Paralympian, 2-time Team USA gold medalist, & IA State Rep. who won a Trump district is going after Joni Ernst. (Original Post) progressoid Aug 12 OP
Josh Turkey's courageous journey is remarkable. democrank Aug 12 #1
He's the real deal. progressoid Aug 12 #2

progressoid

(51,793 posts)
2. He's the real deal.
Tue Aug 12, 2025, 09:23 PM
Aug 12

Right wing groups spent a lot of $$ trying to defeat him. They are right to be afraid of him.

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