U-S Senate candidate Josh Turek of Council Bluffs says the 53rd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in America is a reminder that change can happen quickly.
“I think there’s a generational chance for us to be able to actually win back elections and take back the House and take back the Senate,” Turek said. “And I think that gives us hope to actually see real change in being able to codify Roe v Wade.”
Turek, who is currently a member of the Iowa House, held a roundtable discussion yesterday with a Des Moines-based OB-GYN, two state legislators and two women who are former Planned Parenthood administrators. Turek said Iowa’s six week abortion ban is contributing to the state’s health care crisis because it’s made Iowa a challenging and unattractive place for OB-GYNs to practice.
“I’ll tell you this,” Turek said, “the single issue that I have heard the most in knocking doors and representing the reddest district in the state, the only issue actually that I found is unanimously supported is that our health care system is fundamentally broken.”
Turek said voters are worried about access to health care services – including abortion — as well as prescription drug prices, the closure of rural nursing homes and health care facilities and the skyrocketing premiums for over tens of thousands of Iowans who no longer qualify for Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies.
Turek faces a June Primary against fellow Democrats Zach Wahls of Coralville and Nathan Sage of Knoxville who are also running for the U.S. Senate. President Trump has endorsed Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson’s campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by fellow Republican Joni Ernst which is not seeking reelection.