Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek has won the Democratic nomination for his state’s open U.S. Senate seat, NBC News projects. Turek went on to defeat state Sen. Zach Wahls. He will face Rep. Ashley Hinson, the winner of Tuesday’s GOP primary, in the general election.
Turek, 47, is a former Paralympic gold medalist in basketball.
“Iowans feel like they’re pushing uphill, and I know exactly what that feels like, because it’s working-class families like mine paying the price for Trump’s war and Washington’s corruption,” Turek said in a campaign ad that featured him pushing his wheelchair up an incline. “In the Senate, I’ll take on Trump, and no one will push harder for change.”
Turek lives in Council Bluffs with his wife Jarolin, who is an immigrant and now a US citizen, and his children, according to the Josh Turek for Iowa website. He was raised in a working-class family, and has four siblings who all competed in collegiate or professional basketball. He is the son of John and Luellen Turek.
{{/usCountry}}Turek lives in Council Bluffs with his wife Jarolin, who is an immigrant and now a US citizen, and his children, according to the Josh Turek for Iowa website. He was raised in a working-class family, and has four siblings who all competed in collegiate or professional basketball. He is the son of John and Luellen Turek.
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Turek’s father, John, was a Vietnam War veteran. His exposure to Agent Orange led to lifelong health issues before his death. Turek’s mother was reportedly instrumental in introducing him to adaptive sports.
Turek’s brother John and sister Elisha both played college and professional basketball overseas.
Josh Turek’s wife and children
Turek is married to Jarolin He is married to Jarolin Turek, an immigrant from Spain whom he met while playing professional basketball in Europe. The two have a bilingual, multi-cultural household, according to The Harkin Institute. Jarolin works in health care.
There is little publicly available information on Turek’s children, except that he and his wife share a few kids together.