Turek pitches 'generational change' in Iowa Senate race as campaigning ends

Democrat Josh Turek made his closing argument in Iowa's Senate race on Monday, calling the contest a chance for "generational change." The seat is open because Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is retiring. ¹

Turek, a state lawmaker, said he knows how tight the race is. "This may very well be the closest election on the entire U.S. Senate map," he told supporters at a canvass launch in Le Mars, Iowa. ¹

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A race that once seemed out of reach

Iowa has moved right in recent years and is no longer the battleground it once was. Even so, Democrats could win the governor's office this year and flip a handful of House seats, along with this Senate seat. ¹

At a stop with former Sen. Tom Harkin, Turek looked at a phone showing the prediction market Kalshi's odds. They had him ahead of Hinson, 52% to 48%. A prediction market is a site where people bet on outcomes. Its odds are not a poll. ¹

From Channel GOPTurek: Trump's bill costs 110,000 Iowans health careJosh Turek · 19 plays · captioned, with the source named

The polls have been close. A Fox News poll taken Sept. 24-28 had Turek ahead of Hinson 49% to 47% among likely voters. That is inside the poll's 3-point margin of error, so the race was effectively tied. ²

What Turek is saying

Turek says Iowa is hurting more than almost any other state. He pointed to a contracting economy, health care and cancer problems, water quality, and farmers facing foreclosure. He also blamed unpopular tariffs, the war in Iran and high energy prices. ¹

Every single way it's going in the wrong direction

His ads have focused on high gas and diesel prices. He ties those to Hinson, arguing she has not done enough to fight the president on tariffs and the Iran war. ¹

Turek also says he would work with President Trump where they agree. He named no tax on tips, overtime and Social Security, and driving private equity out of housing. ¹

He was born with spina bifida, which he attributes to his father's exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Turek is a former Paralympic wheelchair basketball player. He invoked Ronald Reagan's 1980 question about whether Americans were better off than they were four years earlier. ¹

Hinson's response

Hinson calls herself a minivan-driving mom ready to get things done for Iowa. She promised early on to be the president's "top ally," but in recent weeks she has said she will push back on him when needed. ¹

She has also called for the Iran war to come to an "immediate and successful end" to bring down energy prices, which breaks with the president. Hinson says Turek is too liberal for Iowa. ¹

The Fox poll shows the challenge for both sides. Fifty-two percent of likely voters were more worried that Hinson is too close to Trump. Forty-three percent were more worried that Turek is too liberal. ²

In that poll, 57% of Iowans disapproved of Trump's job performance and 42% approved. Sixty percent called the cost of living extremely important to their Senate vote. ²

What happens next

Voters decide Tuesday. Turek told volunteers, "We just got today and tomorrow." ¹

That matters because Iowa backed Trump by double digits in 2024. A Democratic win here would show how far the national mood has moved against the party in power. ¹

GOP pollster Daron Shaw, who helped run the Fox survey, pointed to warning signs for Hinson's side, saying recent history and the state's partisan makeup suggest she can pull this out. He also said Iowa Republicans seem ambivalent. ²

The Record

1. Sep 28, 2026A Fox News poll ending this day had Turek ahead of Hinson 49% to 47% among likely voters, within the margin of error ².
2. Nov 1, 2026Trump held his second Iowa rally in a matter of weeks, where Turek said he was glad Trump saw what health care cuts and tariffs were doing to the state ¹.
3. Nov 2, 2026Turek made his closing pitch for 'generational change' at stops in Le Mars and Onawa, Iowa ¹.

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<h2>Turek pitches &#39;generational change&#39; in Iowa Senate race as campaigning ends</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/turek-pitches-generational-change-in-iowa-senate-race-as-campaigning-ends">The GOP Files</a> on Monday, November 2, 2026.</em></p> <p>Democrat Josh Turek made his closing argument in Iowa&#39;s Senate race on Monday, calling the contest a chance for &quot;generational change.&quot; The seat is open because Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is retiring.</p> <p>Turek, a state lawmaker, said he knows how tight the race is. &quot;This may very well be the closest election on the entire U.S. Senate map,&quot; he told supporters at a canvass launch in Le Mars, Iowa.</p> <h2>A race that once seemed out of reach</h2> <p>Iowa has moved right in recent years and is no longer the battleground it once was. Even so, Democrats could win the governor&#39;s office this year and flip a handful of House seats, along with this Senate seat.</p> <p>At a stop with former Sen. Tom Harkin, Turek looked at a phone showing the prediction market Kalshi&#39;s odds. They had him ahead of Hinson, 52% to 48%. A prediction market is a site where people bet on outcomes. Its odds are not a poll.</p> <p>The polls have been close. A Fox News poll taken Sept. 24-28 had Turek ahead of Hinson 49% to 47% among likely voters. That is inside the poll&#39;s 3-point margin of error, so the race was effectively tied.</p> <h2>What Turek is saying</h2> <p>Turek says Iowa is hurting more than almost any other state. He pointed to a contracting economy, health care and cancer problems, water quality, and farmers facing foreclosure. He also blamed unpopular tariffs, the war in Iran and high energy prices.</p> <blockquote><p>Every single way it&#39;s going in the wrong direction</p><p>&mdash; Josh Turek, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Iowa</p></blockquote> <p>His ads have focused on high gas and diesel prices. He ties those to Hinson, arguing she has not done enough to fight the president on tariffs and the Iran war.</p> <p>Turek also says he would work with President Trump where they agree. He named no tax on tips, overtime and Social Security, and driving private equity out of housing.</p> <p>He was born with spina bifida, which he attributes to his father&#39;s exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Turek is a former Paralympic wheelchair basketball player. He invoked Ronald Reagan&#39;s 1980 question about whether Americans were better off than they were four years earlier.</p> <h2>Hinson&#39;s response</h2> <p>Hinson calls herself a minivan-driving mom ready to get things done for Iowa. She promised early on to be the president&#39;s &quot;top ally,&quot; but in recent weeks she has said she will push back on him when needed.</p> <p>She has also called for the Iran war to come to an &quot;immediate and successful end&quot; to bring down energy prices, which breaks with the president. Hinson says Turek is too liberal for Iowa.</p> <p>The Fox poll shows the challenge for both sides. Fifty-two percent of likely voters were more worried that Hinson is too close to Trump. Forty-three percent were more worried that Turek is too liberal.</p> <p>In that poll, 57% of Iowans disapproved of Trump&#39;s job performance and 42% approved. Sixty percent called the cost of living extremely important to their Senate vote.</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Voters decide Tuesday. Turek told volunteers, &quot;We just got today and tomorrow.&quot;</p> <p>That matters because Iowa backed Trump by double digits in 2024. A Democratic win here would show how far the national mood has moved against the party in power.</p> <p>GOP pollster Daron Shaw, who helped run the Fox survey, pointed to warning signs for Hinson&#39;s side, saying recent history and the state&#39;s partisan makeup suggest she can pull this out. He also said Iowa Republicans seem ambivalent.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/turek-pitches-generational-change-in-iowa-senate-race-as-campaigning-ends">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/turek-pitches-generational-change-in-iowa-senate-race-as-campaigning-ends.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. CBS News, “Josh Turek pitches "generational change" in tight Iowa Senate race” (2026-11-03). cbsnews.com/news/josh-turek-generational-change-iowa-senate-
2. Fox News, “Fox News Poll: Hinson fights for edge in tight Iowa Senate race” (2026-10-01). foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-turek-hinson-close-iowa-s
3. WOWT, “Iowa Senate race tightens with less than two weeks to election day” (2026-10-22). wowt.com/2026/10/22/iowa-senate-race-tightens-with-less-than

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