Council Bluffs’ Turek makes Ottumwa connection
OTTUMWA —
Describing himself as a “common-sense prairie populist” and invoking the legacy of his political hero Tom Harkin, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate Josh Turek Sunday afternoon laid out a “kitchen-table” agenda of affordable health care and homes and dignity in work.
“This is a generational opportunity we have in front of us,” Turek said.
Iowa has both an open U.S. Senate and gubernatorial race — contests with no incumbents — for the first time since 1968.
Turek spoke to about 50 people in the historic Sienna house event space in downtown Ottumwa.
“I’m only here because of a great senator from Iowa and that amazing policy of the Americans With Disabilities Act,” Turek said in his speech, referencing former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin’s landmark civil rights legislation for the disabled. “I’m a beneficiary of that. I want to go the U.S. Senate to be able to fight for Iowa and Iowans, fight for the middle class and fight for the most vulnerable. What I’ve learned unfortunately being in the Iowa Legislature is whether a bill moves or doesn’t move you only have to ask yourself sadly one question: Where’s the money, where’s the lobby? Where’s the lobby for individuals with disabilities? Where’s the lobby for homeless veterans? Where’s the lobby for poor kids? There is none. We need advocates that are actually going to go up there and fight for these folks.”
Turek, a Council Bluffs Democrat, serves in the Iowa House. He’s the first visibly and permanently disabled legislator in Iowa history. Born with spina bifida, Turek had 21 surgeries by the age of 12. Turek, who uses a wheelchair, is a two-time gold medal winner for the United States in Paralympics basketball.
Long-time Ottumwa resident Mary Stewart, secretary of the Wapello County Democratic Party, said Turek is a strong general election candidate in the race to succeed U.S. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is retiring from Congress.
“I just think he has great electability,” Stewart said. “I think he has potential to do that.”
Stewart added, “”Of everybody I’ve listened to he’s the guy.”
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Marion, is seeking the GOP nomination for the Senate seat. Turek is in a Democratic primary that also features State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, and former economic development leader Nathan Sage of Indianola.
Stewart said she thinks geography plays a role for Turek. Other parts of the state can relate to Council Bluffs. She does.
“My mom lived in Council Bluffs for 40 plus years so we were back and forth there a lot,” said Stewart, 74, who has lived in Ottumwa since the 1970s.
Riley Waters, 35, an Albia resident who is moving to Ottumwa, works as an organizer with Local 13 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in southeast Iowa.
He remains undecided in the Senate race. But like Stewart, Waters thinks Turek’s city of origin gives him a connectivity in different parts of Iowa.
“I think that could appeal to rural voters a little bit, the grittiness of Council Bluffs could,” Waters said.
Himar Hernández, 48, of Ottumwa, a veteran economic-development leader with experience in many communities in Iowa, said Council Bluffs and Ottumwa have a clear cultural and economic connection.
“I think we’re similar in that river towns in Iowa have gone through very hard historical events,” Hernández said.
He’s encouraged by what he heard from Turek in his hometown.
“I totally agree with what he said about being level-headed,” Hernández said. “I don’t know where that has gone so I appreciate his efforts to bring Iowans together and talk about what matters to Iowans. I think we have been neglected by our officials.”
For his part, Turek laid out specific policy positions.
He supports term limits for members of Congress and a ban on stock trading in the House and Senate.
“We have to address the corruption we are seeing in this country,” Turek said.
He’s calling for the elimination of the cap on taxable earnings for Social Security which is now set at $184,500. The cap allows billionaires and the very wealthy to avoid paying what Turek sees as their fair share.
Responding to questions about affordable housing, Turek said he wants to see a moratorium on private equity — firms like BlackRock — buying single-family homes, an investment trend that blocks working people from accessing home ownership.
Turek supports an increase to the minimum wage
He fielded some questions on artificial intelligence.
“Trust me, it’s terrifying and I’ve seen a few AIs of me walking around,” Turek said. “The one good thing: if you see an AI and I’m walking you know that one’s fake.”
Turek said there should be regulation at the state and federal levels to guardrail AI.
“It really is an erosion of democracy and terrifying,” Turek said. “They are already making up and saying everything that we are doing.”
About The Iowa Mercury
(Douglas Burns, founder of The Iowa Mercury and a fourth-generation Iowa journalist from Carroll, is a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Read dozens of the most talented writers in Iowa in just one place. The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative spans the full state. It’s one of the biggest things going in Iowa journalism and writing now — and you don’t want to miss. This collaborative is — as the outstanding Quad Cities journalist Ed Tibbetts says — YOUR SUNDAY IOWA newspaper. )
Thanks, Doug. Josh is an impressive young man. His idea of getting rid of the cap on taxable income for Social Security payments is such a good idea. We could stabilize the program and ensure future payments for generations; and everyone would be paying their fair share. Josh seems to be a thoughtful man who speaks to the concerns of so many Iowans.