BONUS EPISODE - Can Josh Turek Flip An Iowa Senate Seat From Red To Blue?

About this episode

Chuck Todd interviews Iowa Democratic senate candidate Josh Turek about his journey and the political landscape in Iowa.

Chuck Todd revisits his interview with Iowa Democratic senate candidate and four-time Paralympian and gold medalist Josh Turek for a deeply personal and politically sharp conversation. Josh shares his remarkable journey—from being born with spina bifida caused by his father’s exposure to Agent Orange, to discovering wheelchair basketball as a pathway to college, to becoming one of the winningest athletes in Paralympic history. He opens up about the emotional challenge of leaving the sport he loved and what ultimately pushed him toward public service. Together, Chuck and Josh explore how the ADA reshaped life for disabled Americans, why adaptive and women’s sports remain undervalued, and how equal access—not guaranteed equal outcomes—remains the core civil rights debate for the disability community. The conversation widens into an unvarnished look at rural politics, Iowa’s sharp rightward turn, and the policies reshaping life in small towns. Josh breaks down why Medicaid denials have exploded, how school choice is quietly devastating rural school districts, and why tariffs—when used chaotically—are crushing family farms. He tackles…

People in this episode

Host: Chuck Todd

Guest: Josh Turek

Topics covered

• Iowa Senate race
• disability rights
• adaptive sports
• rural politics
• Medicaid
• school choice
• cultural issues

Keywords

• Josh Turek
• Iowa Senate
• disability rights
• Paralympic athlete
• rural politics
• Medicaid
• school choice
• cultural issues

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ADA

Places: Iowa, Ukraine, Israel, small towns

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