Iowa Democrat Josh Turek’s sharp anti-trans pivot isn’t winning over his Republican opponent

Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek has released an anti-transgender ad days before the midterm elections, drawing criticism from fellow Democrats and his Republican opponent as he courts Iowa voters.

“As a kid in a wheelchair, I faced my share of bullying,” Turek says in the ad. “That’s why I believe that no Iowan should face discrimination. As a Paralympian, I also know it’s important to have rules. It’s why I oppose males competing in female sports, something that is already illegal in Iowa. I’m against taxpayers paying for sex changes too. Anyone tells you any different is lying.”

“It’s time to stop the nonsense from both extremes,” Turek adds as the ad shows video clips of members of both parties.

The ad highlights a divide among Iowa Democrats over how to respond to Republican attacks on transgender rights. Rob Sand, who is running for governor, has repeatedly said he does not support transgender women competing in women’s sports. But congressional candidate Christina Bohannan has pushed back on anti-trans attacks in her advertising without targeting transgender people.

The LGBTQ+ advocacy organization One Iowa Action condemned Turek’s ad, accusing him of breaking assurances he had given the group.

“We unequivocally condemn Josh Turek’s recently released campaign ad and the policy shift it represents,” the group said on its website.

Related: Iowa Democrat’s new ad takes on anti-trans attacks without throwing transgender people under the bus

“When we met with Turek in the aftermath of his first post-primary statement regarding exclusion of trans athletes, we thought he understood our complaints. He assured us that his personal exclusionary beliefs regarding trans athletes would never translate to policy, and he confidently promised that he would not roll out new policy stances that directly contradicted his voting record in the Iowa legislature," the group wrote, adding, "That was a lie.”

State Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, the first out transgender person elected to the Iowa Legislature and the first out transgender woman elected to public office in Iowa, called the ad disappointing, particularly because she has worked closely with Turek.

“You don’t need to throw people under the bus to win elections. The plain fact is that these talking points don’t win elections. These talking points aren’t going to gain you anything with the voters,” Wichtendahl told news station KTIV, adding that she would hold him accountable if he won the Senate seat.

Turek’s Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, seized on the ad at a campaign rally, saying his record as a state representative from Council Bluffs didn’t reflect the positions he outlined.

Related: Iowa bans Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care for adults

“He is trying to act like a Republican to win this election here in Iowa, and he has to run away from his liberal record,” Hinson said, citing legislation Turek opposed, including a bill that bars trans students in public schools from using restrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity and requires them to get parental consent before seeking alternative accommodations, such as single-user restrooms.

A campaign spokesperson for Turek told the Iowa Capital Dispatch that he voted against that bill because it “puts disabled Iowans and their caregivers, particularly caregivers of the opposite sex, at risk of legal consequences for entering a public restroom.”

State Rep. Adam Zabner defended Turek, saying in a statement that he has seen “firsthand how committed he is to ensuring the rights of all Iowans and fighting against discrimination.”

He added, “With Ashley Hinson, Iowans would get just another corrupt D.C. politician who would continue to cut health care and food assistance to give tax breaks to billionaires.”

Turek has previously said he opposes public funding for gender-affirming surgeries. He voted against a 2025 measure that included a provision blocking Medicaid from covering such procedures, saying the legislation failed to address Medicaid waitlists or provider shortages.

Related: Iowa must pay $85k to transgender students banned from bathroom at state Capitol

No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate race in Iowa since 2008. But Turek has received former President Barack Obama’s endorsement, and some polls show the race is competitive.

For some LGBTQ+ advocates, the ad has drawn criticism without changing their choice in the race.

“I voted on the first day of early in-person voting, but if I were filling out my ballot today, I would still vote for Josh Turek,” Adam Peters, director of operations of Clock, Inc. LGBT+ Community Center and the Democratic nominee for Iowa’s 97th House District, said in a statement. “While I disagree with his ad, I know I can talk to him and make my concerns heard. You can too. I can’t say the same for Ashley Hinson.”