Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek joins crowded Democratic primary to oust Joni Ernst

In bright-red Iowa, the Democratic field vying to unseat Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) grew to five on Tuesday as state Rep. Josh Turek jumped into the race.

A former Paralympian with two gold medals in wheelchair basketball, Turek represents Council Bluffs in Iowa’s far west. After being born with spina bifida, which his family ties to his father’s Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam, Turek faced 21 surgeries by age 12, and ultimately rose to become a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball.