Dem Senate hopeful pocketed massive taxpayer-funded cash while skipping hundreds of votes

Iowa Legislative Records Show Democratic Senate Candidate Josh Turek Missed 261 House Votes While Receiving $20,100 in Per Diem Payments

Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, received $20,100 in per diem payments during the 2026 legislative session while absent for 261 of the Iowa House’s recorded votes, according to data from the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives. The period examined runs from Jan. 12, 2026, through May 3, 2026, covering roughly 60 percent of the chamber’s votes during that span.

Iowa law permits legislators to collect a daily per diem of $201, tax-free, up to 100 times per session to offset expenses associated with their duties. Turek’s total matches the maximum allowable under that formula for the days he claimed the payment.

Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist elected to the Iowa House in 2022, has described his background as including use of VA health coverage tied to his father’s military service, participation in free summer lunch programs, and services from an Area Education Agency. Campaign finance records filed with the Federal Election Commission show his Senate campaign raised $3.4 million between July 2025 and the end of May 2026. For comparison, former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown’s campaign reported nearly $26 million over a similar timeframe in his state’s Senate race.

House records indicate clusters of absences coincided with periods when Turek’s campaign reported fundraising activity outside Iowa. Between March 25 and March 31, 2026, the campaign recorded $43,000 in contributions from California donors; Turek was absent for 12 House votes during those dates, including one on a rural health and medical licensing measure. Campaign filings list a $250 expenditure for event venue rental at 800 Maine Ave. in Washington, D.C., during a separate stretch from Feb. 17 to March 23 when 16 votes were missed, among them consideration of an education standards bill. One stretch in March showed 30 consecutive absences.

Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls in the Democratic primary earlier this month and will face Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in the Nov. 3 general election.

A spokesperson for Turek’s campaign stated that absences for fundraising are not unique to him and noted that Hinson had also missed votes while attending a fundraiser. The spokesperson described Turek as one of Iowa’s more bipartisan legislators and pointed to his work with Republicans on tax cuts and public safety measures. Hinson’s campaign responded that she maintains a 98.8 percent lifetime voting attendance record since entering the U.S. House in 2020. It further stated that Turek missed votes on the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs budget, the Iowa Farm Bill, rural health funding, child abuse investigations, and, in 2023, a measure concerning gender transition procedures for minors. Hinson’s campaign communications director, Billy Fuerst, characterized Turek as an “absentee legislator.”

Hinson was absent for part of the 2027 defense appropriations markup on June 24 while attending a Washington fundraiser. Both campaigns have described their candidates’ travel as necessary for raising funds in a competitive race for an open Senate seat.

The Iowa House maintains public records of roll-call votes and per diem claims. The figures cited for Turek derive from those records as obtained through direct inquiry; comparable session-wide attendance totals for other members, including Hinson during her state legislative service, are also available through the same clerk’s office but were not aggregated in the initial reporting. Per diem payments are issued uniformly to members who submit claims, regardless of party or campaign status.

Turek’s campaign has emphasized a “go everywhere” schedule that includes in-state and out-of-state events. Hinson’s campaign has highlighted her consistent participation in House proceedings since 2020 and has criticized Turek’s attendance pattern. Both candidates continue to campaign ahead of the November election.