Obama backs Iowa Senate Democrat Josh Turek in early midterm move
Why it matters: Obama is one of the few Democrats to win Iowa in the past 25 years, giving Turek a high-profile boost in a key race.
Former President Barack Obama endorsed Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee in Iowa’s closely watched Senate race, in one of his first moves of the midterm cycle. The backing came in a basketball-themed video that played on both men’s ties to the sport. Obama remains the only Democrat to carry Iowa in a presidential election over the past quarter-century, making his support notable in a state that has trended Republican in recent years. Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist who played on the U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team, and Democrats are hoping his profile can help make the race competitive.