Key facts
- Josh Turek won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Iowa.
- Turek defeated State Senator Zach Wahls in the primary.
- Turek will compete against Republican U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson in the general election.
- The seat is open following the retirement of Republican Senator Joni Ernst.
- Turek is a Paralympian and a moderate Democrat who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022.
Iowa State Representative Josh Turek has won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, positioning himself to potentially become the first Democratic senator from the state since 2008. Turek, a Paralympian and moderate Democrat who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022, secured the nomination by defeating State Senator Zach Wahls, a progressive candidate endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Turek was backed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former Senator Tom Harkin. He will now face Republican U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson, a three-term congresswoman and rising star in the GOP who was backed by President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senator Joni Ernst. Hinson defeated former state senator Jim Carlin in the Republican primary. The race is to succeed Republican Senator Joni Ernst, a two-term senator whose retirement has created an opportunity for Democrats to contest the seat. Iowa has shifted to the right in recent election cycles, with Trump carrying the state by significant margins in 2016 and 2020, and by 13 points in November 2024. Republicans currently hold both Senate seats, all four congressional districts, and all statewide offices except one.