Democrat Josh Turek Flip-Flops on Welfare for Illegals
Matt Mercer
Breitbart
August 14, 2026
Iowa Democrat Senate nominee Josh Turek is trying to flip-flop on his past support for taxpayer-funded welfare for illegal immigrants.
A recent campaign stop featuring Iowa farm families, speakers called out Turek for his voting record while a member of the Iowa state legislature.
“We can’t have Josh Turek as our next senator because he will fall directly in line with the socialists raising our taxes, attacking agriculture, and making life more expensive,” said Tama County Farmer Cordt Holub, according to KCRG-TV.
Turek’s campaign said he “opposes benefits for illegal immigrants” – but voted earlier this year to do so.
A legislative vote transcript shows Turek in support of taxpayer funding for initiatives relating to welfare for illegal immigrants.
It’s not the only issue Turek is now flipping on.
He previously called for repealing the Working Families Tax Cuts, which included provisions such as no taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security. “We’ve got to overturn the big beautiful bill,” Turek said in a Democrat primary debate.
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Additionally, Turek has voiced support for a federal Farm Bill yet didn’t vote on similar state legislation while serving as a state representative.
Breitbart News previously reported on Turek’s habitual absence from his job in the state.
Turek was absent from votes involving citizenship and residency requirements for public assistance eligibility and verification of voters’ citizenship in 2024 and later missed a March 2025 vote to verify the citizenship status of Iowa voters.
He missed nearly 60 percent of votes in the first half of 2026 yet still pocketed over $20,000 in per diem payments.
Turek, a two-time gold medalist wheelchair basketball player, has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2023.
He faces Republican nominee Rep. Ashley Hinson, a former journalist, who previously served in the Iowa House of Representatives prior to being elected to the state’s 2nd Congressional district seat in 2020.
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