Former President Barack Obama has thrown his support behind Iowa Democratic state Representative Josh Turek in his bid for a coveted U.S. Senate seat.
Obama announced the endorsement through a video featuring the two men shooting hoops on a basketball court in a modified version of the classic game Horse.
“Let’s go. We playin’ horse or what?” Obama asks in the video, setting a lighthearted tone for the political announcement.
“We’re playin’ Iowa,” Turek replies, leaning into the symbolism of the swing state battleground.
Obama then quips, “I know a little somethin’ about winning Iowa,” a reference to his victories in the state during the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.
The former president closed the video with a direct call to action, saying, “Now the ball’s in your court Iowa. Let’s make sure that we send Josh Turek to the United States Senate.”
Turek is a four-time wheelchair basketball Paralympian who claimed gold medals on two separate occasions, making him one of Iowa’s most recognizable athletic figures.
He will face U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Iowa, in the general election for the Senate seat left open by Senator Joni Ernst.
Ernst announced last year that she would not seek re-election in 2026, triggering an immediate wave of political maneuvering from both parties eager to capture the seat.
Hinson announced her U.S. Senate bid on the same day Ernst confirmed her retirement, signaling early ambition and organizational readiness for a competitive statewide race.
President Donald Trump endorsed Hinson just days after her announcement, lending the full weight of his political brand to her campaign and making the Iowa race a nationally watched contest.
The matchup now sets the stage for a high-profile battle between a Trump-backed House Republican and a Democratic candidate carrying one of the party’s most powerful endorsements heading into the general election.
Iowa has historically leaned Republican in recent cycles, making Turek’s path to victory a genuine test of whether Obama’s endorsement carries meaningful electoral weight in the current political environment.
The race is expected to draw significant national attention and campaign spending as both parties view the open Iowa seat as a critical piece of the broader fight for Senate control.
