Josh Turek, Iowa Democrats’ U.S. Senate nominee, missed 261 votes in the state House during the first several months of 2026 while collecting over $20,000 in taxpayer-funded per diem payments.
The revelation highlights a tension that often confronts state legislators who launch campaigns for higher office: balancing their current duties with the demands of running a competitive statewide or federal race. In Iowa’s part-time legislature, lawmakers are expected to be present for the annual session even as some pursue advancement to Washington.
Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, was absent for nearly 60% of the votes held between January 12 and May 3, according to voting records Fox News obtained.
This absence rate is particularly notable given that the early months of the year represent the core of Iowa’s legislative session, when most substantive policy debates occur and key votes are held on the state budget, tax policy, and major legislation. Lawmakers typically concentrate their work during this window before adjourning in spring.
He also pocketed $20,100 in legislative per diem payments during that same period, according to the Iowa House chief clerk.
Iowa legislators receive per diem payments intended to cover meals, lodging, and other expenses incurred while conducting state business. These taxpayer-funded stipends are provided regardless of whether lawmakers cast votes, though they are generally expected to be fulfilling their legislative responsibilities to qualify for the payments. The intersection of campaign activity and legislative compensation has become a point of scrutiny in competitive races.
The attendance record has become a major campaign issue as Turek seeks to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. He won the Democratic Senate nomination in June and faces Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in November.
Turek’s campaign pushed back against criticism of his legislative attendance, pointing to his opponent’s own record and emphasizing his bipartisan credentials in the statehouse.
“Just last week, Ashley Hinson skipped votes on the annual defense funding bill to attend a ritzy D.C. fundraiser. Meanwhile, Josh Turek is ranked one of Iowa’s most bipartisan and effective lawmakers and has regularly worked with Republicans to cut taxes for Iowa families and keep dangerous criminals off the streets.”
Analysis of Turek’s absences shows some occurred while he was campaigning and fundraising outside Iowa — often in coastal elite strongholds.
Senate campaigns require extensive fundraising operations, and candidates frequently travel to major metropolitan areas with concentrations of wealthy donors. However, out-of-state fundraising trips by Iowa candidates can become political liabilities, particularly when they coincide with missed votes on legislation affecting constituents back home.
Between March 25 and March 31, Turek missed 12 House votes while his campaign raised approximately $43,000 from donors in Southern California. Campaign records also showed hotel expenses in Los Angeles during that period.
One of the missed votes concerned legislation involving rural health care and medical licensing.
Rural health care remains a critical issue in Iowa, where hospital closures and physician shortages have affected communities across the state. Missing votes on such locally significant matters can provide ammunition for political opponents seeking to portray a candidate as out of touch with Iowa priorities.
Turek also missed 16 votes between February 17 and March 23 while his campaign raised approximately $36,500 from donors in Washington, D.C.
His campaign reported an event at a Washington address during that period.
One of those missed votes involved consideration of an education standards bill.
At one point in March, Turek missed 30 consecutive votes, the voting records showed.
Such extended absences are unusual even among legislators running for higher office, and they provide opponents with concrete evidence to question a candidate’s commitment to their current constituents while seeking to represent them in a different capacity.
Hinson’s team shot back hard, noting she has a 98.8% lifetime voting record since 2020.
“Not only did Josh Turek skip the vote to fund the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs … he also skipped votes on the Iowa Farm Bill, rural health funding, child abuse investigations and, in 2023, gender transition procedures for minors,” the spokesperson for Hinson said.
The list of missed votes spans issues central to Iowa voters and touches on several topics that have animated recent political debates in the state, from agriculture policy to social issues that have become flashpoints in Republican messaging.
The battleground Iowa Senate race is one Republicans are targeting heavily in November as they work to expand their Senate majority.
Control of the Senate could hinge on races in states like Iowa, making the contest not just a local battle but part of the broader national fight for power in Washington. Both parties are expected to pour significant resources into the state as Election Day approaches.
