Josh Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, a state legislator and Democratic candidate for U.S.Senate in Iowa, has taken over $20,000 in per diem payments while missing more than half of his 2026 votes, records reveal.From Jan.
12, 2026, through May 3, he missed 261 of the chamber’s votes, accounting for nearly 60% of his votes.The absences, some of which were clustered around campaign events and spanned several high-profile bills, suggest Turek has struggled to balance his role as a legislator and candidate as he wages an uphill battle to fill the seat being vacated by Sen.Joni Ernst, R-Iowa., who is retiring.Throughout his campaign, Turek has framed himself as a classic example of the American underdog story, having overcome being born paralyzed from the waist down to play basketball for the U.S.
in the Paralympic Games, winning championships in 2016 and 2020.DEMOCRATS TURN TO PARALYMPIAN IN BID TO FLIP KEY GOP-HELD SENATE SEATJosh Turek (Scott Olson/Getty Images)As a candidate for Senate, Turek has pledged to defend the government programs that made his journey possible."I wouldn’t have gotten that far without VA health coverage from my dad’s service, free summer lunch programs when my parents were struggling and the local AEA that made sure I had access to a good education," Turek said in a campaign video.Despite a powerful message that has drawn national attention, Turek has struggled to raise capital for his campaign, having accumulated $3.4 million from July 2025 through the end of May, according to FEC records.The sum is on the lower end of campaign contributions for a campaign to flip an empty Senate seat.By comparison, Sherrod Brown, a former U.S.senator trying to reclaim his seat in Ohio, has raised nearly $26 million since last November.Records show that Turek skipped critical votes to raise campaign cash across the country — while at the same time maxing out the daily $201 tax-free per diem that Iowa offers its legislators to cover cost...