Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Democrat Josh Turek in Iowa’s closely watched Senate race, marking one of his initial endorsements ahead of the midterm elections. The endorsement came in a lighthearted video released Wednesday, featuring Obama and Turek playing a modified game of HORSE called IOWA at a gymnasium in Chicago.
Turek, a state legislator and two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, is vying to become the first Democrat in over a decade to win an Iowa Senate seat. He is running to replace outgoing Republican Senator Joni Ernst. His Republican opponent is Representative Ashley Hinson, a moderate who has received former President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Obama, who carried Iowa in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, referenced his historic success in the state during the video, highlighting his connection to Iowa’s voters. “I know a little something about winning Iowa,” he said. The state has leaned Republican in recent cycles, with Trump winning by a nearly 10-point margin in 2016 and comfortably securing Iowa in 2020 and 2024. Democrats see Iowa as a key target amid struggles in the state’s agriculture sector linked to tariff policies during Trump’s administration.
In the video, the two Democrats engaged in a friendly exchange about basketball and the state’s political climate. Turek emphasized widespread voter desire for change, asserting that support spans urban and rural areas alike. Obama described the Iowa caucuses as uniquely democratic, praising the engagement of ordinary residents. Turek said many Iowans are experiencing “hope” for the first time in years, a sentiment Obama echoed.
The endorsement video featured the pair trading shots and discussing basketball legends, with both agreeing that Michael Jordan ranks as the greatest player. The lighthearted competition ended without a clear winner, though Obama acknowledged being “whooped” by Turek, whom he called “somebody who knows how to win.”
The Republican campaign dismissed the endorsement. Billy Fuerst, spokesperson for Hinson’s campaign, issued a brief statement calling the endorsement “shocking” but offered no further comment.
Obama has made few midterm endorsements to date. Earlier this year, he appeared alongside Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico in Texas in a campaign video. Turek and Obama previously met in 2016 when the former president invited the Paralympic basketball team to the White House following their gold medal victory in Rio de Janeiro.
As the November election approaches, Democrats hope Turek’s centrist record and bipartisan appeal can help flip a crucial Senate seat in a state that has increasingly favored Republicans in federal contests. Currently, polls indicate a tight race between Turek and Hinson as both parties invest heavily in Iowa.